Michigan Sex Crimes Lawyer

Few accusations carry the weight of Michigan sex crimes. A criminal sexual conduct (CSC) charge can bring years in prison, sex offender registration, and damage to your family and career, often before any evidence is tested in court. Many of these cases begin months or even years before charges are filed, with a police interview request, a CPS contact, or a search warrant. Attorney Christopher Brown, a former Detroit police officer, defends CSC and other sex crime charges across Southeast Michigan, from the first contact with investigators through trial.

This page explains how Michigan sex crimes law works statewide. For Oakland County courts, CARE House interviews, sex offender registration tiers, and time limits for charging old allegations, visit our Oakland County sex crime lawyer page.

Recent Michigan Sex Crimes Results

Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Two Counts of CSC Second Degree Dismissed Before the Preliminary Exam — Romeo

Police searched our client’s home under a search warrant. He made no statements. We were retained before any charge was filed, and we immediately sent the officer in charge a letter demanding that all evidence be preserved, including the phone messages of the child’s mother. A year later, our client was charged with two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, each a 15-year felony. We subpoenaed the mother’s phone, which held audio recordings of her coaching the child. We retained a highly qualified expert to review the CARE House forensic interview and the mother’s recordings for suggestibility and memory taint. The expert, who had reviewed more than 1,000 child forensic interviews, concluded this interview was among the three worst he had ever reviewed. Our client also passed a polygraph examination. Faced with the expert’s findings, the prosecutor dismissed both counts before the preliminary examination.

42-1 District Court — Romeo, Macomb County

Fourth-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct Dismissed — Macomb County Circuit Court

Our client was accused of inappropriately touching a coworker. Our cross-examination showed the complaining witness’s version of events was physically impossible, and the case was dismissed.

16th Circuit Court — Macomb County

Criminal Sexual Conduct Acquittal — Oakland County Circuit Court

Our client was wrongfully accused of criminal sexual conduct in the middle of a bitter divorce and faced three counts of second-degree CSC, each a 15-year felony. At trial, we showed the jury that the State’s forensic interviewer improperly influenced the complaining witness, and that the officer in charge of the case destroyed evidence that may have helped the defense. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty on all three counts.

6th Circuit Court — Oakland County

See more sex crime case results.

How Michigan Law Defines Criminal Sexual Conduct

Every CSC charge starts with one question: is the accusation sexual penetration or sexual contact?

Sexual penetration includes intercourse and any intrusion, however slight, into the genital or anal openings. Sexual contact means the intentional touching of intimate parts, or the clothing covering them, that can reasonably be construed as being for a sexual purpose. Intimate parts include the genital area, groin, inner thigh, buttock, and breast.

Many cases turn on exactly this line: whether a touching happened, whether it was intentional, and whether it was sexual.

What Makes a CSC Charge First, Second, Third, or Fourth Degree

The degree depends on the act plus at least one circumstance listed in the statute:

• First degree (CSC 1st): penetration, plus a circumstance such as a victim under 13; a victim 13 to 15 with a household, family, or authority relationship; use of a weapon; personal injury combined with force or coercion; or another felony
• Second degree (CSC 2nd): sexual contact, plus circumstances that largely mirror first degree, such as a victim under 13 or force with personal injury
• Third degree (CSC 3rd): penetration, plus a circumstance such as a victim 13 to 15; force or coercion; a victim the accused knew or should have known was incapacitated or helpless; or certain family, school, or caregiver relationships
• Fourth degree (CSC 4th): sexual contact, plus a circumstance such as a victim 13 to 15 when the accused is at least 5 years older; force or coercion; or certain family, school, or caregiver relationships

The same facts can be charged in more than one way, so we compare every count against the exact statute the prosecutor charged. For the full penalty table, see our Oakland County sex crime lawyer page. MCL 750.520b–750.520e.

Evidence Rules That Make Michigan Sex Crimes Cases Dangerous

Three Michigan rules give prosecutors advantages in Michigan sex crimes cases that they don’t have in most other criminal cases. Understanding them is the first step in defending against them.

No Corroboration Required

Michigan law says the complainant’s testimony does not need to be corroborated. In other words, a person can be convicted on the accuser’s word alone. That doesn’t relieve the prosecutor of proving every element beyond a reasonable doubt. It means the defense has to test that testimony: its timing, inconsistencies, opportunity, motive, and what the investigation failed to do. MCL 750.520h.

The Rape Shield Law

Michigan’s rape shield law generally keeps out evidence of the complainant’s sexual history. There are narrow exceptions, such as past sexual conduct with the accused, or evidence showing the source of semen, pregnancy, or disease. The defense must file a written motion and offer of proof within 10 days after arraignment on the information in circuit court, so this deadline has to be planned for from the start. MCL 750.520j.

Other Accusations Involving Minors

When the charge involves a minor, Michigan law allows the prosecutor to use evidence that the accused committed another listed offense against a minor, for any relevant purpose. The prosecutor must disclose that evidence at least 15 days before trial, and the judge can still limit or exclude it if it is unfairly prejudicial. Challenging this evidence early can change the entire shape of a trial. MCL 768.27a.

Child Allegations: Family Dynamics and Memory Taint

In our experience, Michigan sex crimes cases involving child allegations often share a common theme: a family dynamic or background that opens the door to improper influence. When a family member has a bias or a motive against the accused, a child’s memory can be shaped, intentionally or not, by repeated questioning and suggestion.

These cases are also often charged a year or more after the allegation is first made. That is why the key is preserving evidence early and interviewing witnesses as soon as the allegation surfaces, not after charges are filed. Phone messages, recordings, and the way the child was first questioned can disappear.

In our Macomb County case, a preservation demand sent before charges were filed protected the mother’s phone recordings, and an expert’s review of the forensic interview led to dismissal before the preliminary exam.

How Michigan Sex Crimes Cases Move Through Court

• Investigation: police interviews, CPS contact, search warrants, and forensic interviews often happen long before any charge
• Arraignment and bond: courts commonly order no-contact conditions, and any contact, even if the complainant starts it, can violate them
• Preliminary examination: the prosecutor must show probable cause for each count and each charged circumstance in district court, and the defense can test the witnesses
• Circuit court: felony cases move to circuit court, where deadlines such as the rape shield motion begin to run
• Experts: depending on the case, experts in child interviewing, memory and suggestibility, digital forensics, or medical findings can be critical
• Trial: the prosecutor must prove every element of every count beyond a reasonable doubt

Michigan Sex Crimes Sentencing: Mandatory Minimums and Lifetime Monitoring

CSC 1st degree can carry up to life in prison, and a 25-year mandatory minimum applies to certain offenses by someone 17 or older against a child under 13. CSC 1st degree carries lifetime electronic monitoring, and so does CSC 2nd degree when the accused is 17 or older and the child is under 13.

Michigan’s sentencing guidelines then set a recommended minimum range based on how the offense and prior record are scored, and scoring errors are common. Every proposed plea should be measured against the actual guideline range, any mandatory minimum, registration, and monitoring before a decision is made.

Consequences of a Michigan Sex Crimes Conviction

A Michigan sex crimes conviction can affect much more than jail or prison:

• Registration: most CSC convictions require sex offender registration, often for decades
• Employment: background checks and restrictions in schools, health care, child care, and government jobs
• Professional licenses: discipline, suspension, or denial by licensing boards
• Custody and parenting time: charges can affect family court proceedings even before a verdict
• Immigration: for non-citizens, a plea or conviction can carry serious immigration consequences, so immigration advice is needed before any plea
• School and housing: student discipline, campus access, and housing restrictions

What to Do If Police or CPS Contact You

If police or Child Protective Services contacts you about a sex crime allegation, contact an attorney who has experience with these cases immediately. Don’t agree to an interview, take a phone call from the accuser, or try to explain your side on your own. Early representation lets your attorney preserve evidence, identify witnesses, and in some cases present information that keeps charges from being filed at all.

Michigan Sex Crimes FAQ

What is the difference between CSC 2nd degree and CSC 4th degree?

Both involve sexual contact rather than penetration. CSC 2nd degree requires a more serious circumstance, such as a victim under 13, and is a felony punishable by up to 15 years. CSC 4th degree involves lesser circumstances and carries up to 2 years.

Can I be convicted on the accuser’s word alone?

Under Michigan law, the complainant’s testimony does not need to be corroborated. The prosecutor must still prove every element beyond a reasonable doubt, and the defense can challenge credibility, inconsistencies, and gaps in the investigation.

Can the prosecutor use other accusations against me?

In cases involving a minor, Michigan law can allow evidence of another listed offense against a minor. The prosecutor must give notice at least 15 days before trial, and the defense can ask the judge to limit or exclude it.

Why was I charged a year or more after the allegation?

Child allegations often take months to investigate, with forensic interviews, warrants, and reviews by the prosecutor. That delay is why preserving evidence and interviewing witnesses early is so important.

Should I talk to CPS if they contact me?

Talk to an attorney first. What you say to CPS can be shared with police and used in a criminal case.

Can an expert challenge a child’s forensic interview?

Yes. A qualified expert can review how a child was questioned and whether suggestion or outside influence may have shaped the child’s account. In our Macomb County case, that review led to dismissal of both counts.

Talk to a Michigan Sex Crimes Lawyer

If you have been accused, contacted by police or CPS, or charged with criminal sexual conduct, talk to a lawyer before you talk to anyone else. Attorney Christopher Brown offers free consultations 24/7, in person at our Troy office or virtually. Call (248) 468-1468 or contact us online. We defend sex crime charges throughout Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne Counties.