Many parties can share responsibility in a sex crimes case

Issues regarding culpability and legal liability routinely emerge in all areas of the law, which can make a timely consultation with a proven attorney a critically important first step for an injured victim to take. And that can be especially true in the realm of sex crimes, for several very important reasons. For starters, prosecutors…

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Does a judge like this chill victims’ rape reports?

He apologized, but hey, well … whatever. That has undoubtedly got to be the reaction of legions of people who heard in media reports across the country last week what can only be termed as the outrageous comments of one man regarding rape. Unfortunately, that man is a judge. And from the statements he uttered…

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Clear momentum on California SOL removal for felony sex crimes

In baseball parlance, the California Assembly just threw a shutout last Thursday, overwhelmingly passing a bill addressing time limits related to sex crime prosecutions. Now that legislation moves to the Senate, which in all likelihood will endorse the bill with the same enthusiasm that House members did. Actually, it was the Senate that moved first,…

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Crackdown on child sex trafficking ring in California community

Operation “Baby Face” might ostensibly and at first glance sound like something totally innocuous and even uplifting. A photo contest for cute infants, for instance. Maybe an online zoo fundraiser betting that adorable animal shots will bring in viewer contributions. A statement uttered by one commentator in an article on Baby Face quickly belies any…

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Report: USA Gymnastics gets no medal for policing sex offenders

“It’s horrible, but it’s not the worst.” As far as endorsements go, that is, what, rather … tepid? Depending on the context, the comment might not be much of a big deal, but the context is this: sexual predators having close access to millions of young American gymnasts in clubs and training facilities from California…

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Task force acts: Los Angeles fertile ground for child molesters

The Internet — ubiquitous and powerful — is seemingly a global conduit for every conceivable thing. It provides news coverage to the second, sports and entertainment information and a ready catalog of virtually every song ever written and recorded. It allows users to instantly communicate across the world with others, do homework and research projects…

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Step 1 concluded: sex-crimes SOL passes California Senate

It’s a start. Would-be legislation in California is, well, would-be. That is, a bill is merely incipient and must clear multiple hurdles before it is deemed finally approved and can be enacted as law. A high-profile bill (SB 813, for short) focused upon the reporting window available for individuals to file legal claims regarding sex…

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Child abuser’s case underscores sheer dimension of global problem

To any person in California or elsewhere who might believe that criminal law authorities, advocacy groups, compassionate and knowledgeable attorneys and countless other people overstate the case of pedophile-related activity and child sexual abuse, we submit the case of Richard Huckle. Huckle was sentenced by a London court earlier this week to 22 life sentences…

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Spat over sex crime statute of limitations

It’s a recurring and sometimes strident debate that often materializes across the country, including in California. Now a prominent businessman and legislator have rekindled the discussion in another state. That state is New York, with the subject being the statute of limitations applicable to child sex abuse cases. In New York, so-called SOLs greatly —…

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