Texas law takes sexual assault very seriously. You are undoubtedly trying to avoid incarceration if you have been charged with sexual assault. The time to act is now. A Harris County criminal defense attorney can prepare you for the best action.
The goal is to avoid jail time. And there are alternatives. But, the optimum outcome would be dropped charges or an innocent ruling. This would eliminate time behind bars and legally clear your name. Contact Houston Criminal Defense Attorney immediately.
If a conviction is inevitable, there are several alternatives to time in jail. A Harris County sexual assault attorney can guide you through the process and possibly negotiate one of the other, less harsh, options. If you were not charged with a violent sex crime and are not a repeat offender, it is possible that you could avoid doing time.
Here are a few possibilities.
Probation, called Community Supervision, can sometimes be negotiated if the offense is not violent. The judge will consider your criminal record and the likelihood of you being a repeat offender when deciding if this is the best alternative for you. When probation is allowed, you will stay at home. You must register as a sex offender and submit to alcohol and drug tests.
Often, wearing an electronic monitoring device is required. While on probation, you should maintain employment when that is possible. You will be assigned a probation officer. And there will be parameters that must be observed with your sentence—for instance, no contact with minors and submitting a DNA sample.
House Arrest is another possibility. Only nonviolent offenders would be considered for this option. And again, your previous criminal record will inform your sentence.
While on house arrest, a tracking device will be required. The option of house arrest is far and away a better option than jail, and the right Harris County criminal defense attorney will do all that they can to help you stay at home.
Another possibility is deferred adjudication. Texas law offers this unique option. A person convicted of a sex crime can take responsibility without having a criminal record. They would submit a guilty plea or a plea of no contest. Then, probation, or community supervision, would be allowed.
One must waive the right to a jury trial for this option. And while on probation, they would have to follow the rules of the sentence to the letter. The guilty plea would not remain on their record at the end of the probation time.
If you have been charged with a sex crime, your best opportunity to avoid time behind bars is to behave proactively. The first step to a clean record, or at least remaining at home, is to contact a Houston criminal defense attorney. They will act in your best interest and treat you respectfully while minimizing the damage a sex crime conviction does to your life.