Wayne County Sex Crime Lawyer

A sex crime accusation can upend your life before prosecutors file a single charge. Lawyers win or lose many of these cases during the investigation, long before anyone sees a courtroom. Attorney Christopher Brown is a Wayne County sex crime lawyer and former Detroit police officer who defends people accused of criminal sexual conduct (CSC) in every Wayne County court, starting at the earliest stage.

Recent Sex Crime Results

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

No Charges Filed After We Uncovered Coaching in a Custody Dispute — Wayne County

Our client, a relative of the mother, was staying with her during her bitter divorce from the child’s father. The child made a statement to a mandatory reporter, who reported it to police, and Child Protective Services (CPS) also opened an investigation. Our client contacted us early. Our investigation uncovered clear evidence that the father had coached the child to gain an advantage in the divorce and custody dispute. We presented that information to CPS and law enforcement, who reviewed the background and the father’s conduct before making a charging decision. In the end, no charges were filed.

Pre-Charge Investigation — Wayne 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

Indecent Exposure Charge Dismissed — Dearborn

Our client, a professional, was charged with indecent exposure. After we gave the prosecutor additional information, the prosecutor took the case under advisement and dismissed it within 60 days.

19th District Court — Dearborn, Wayne County

See more of our case results.

Don’t Wait for the Detective to Call

Attorney Brown can’t stress this enough: as soon as you believe someone may make an allegation, that’s the time to bring in an experienced lawyer. Don’t wait until a detective contacts you. Memories fade, evidence can disappear, and investigators sometimes rush an investigation or develop tunnel vision, drawing conclusions before they’ve looked at the whole picture.

Attorney Brown approaches each case the way an officer in charge would run a thorough investigation, but for the defense. Before charges, he works outside the courtroom to gather evidence, locate witnesses, and present the right information to investigators and prosecutors. If prosecutors charge the case, he carries that work into the courtroom. As our Wayne County custody case shows, early action can lead to no charges at all.

Let Your Lawyer Be the Buffer

Never deal with the police directly in a sex crime investigation. Instead, let your lawyer act as the buffer, so any information goes to investigators at the right time, if at all. In the same way, Attorney Brown generally advises clients not to take a polygraph offered by police. When a polygraph makes sense, he arranges a private exam, which stays protected as part of the defense’s work.

CPS Investigations: Be Careful What You Say

When the allegation involves a parent or someone in the home, Child Protective Services (CPS) is often the first to investigate. CPS and law enforcement frequently work together and share information. However, CPS caseworkers aren’t police officers, so the Miranda warnings that protect you in a police interrogation generally don’t apply. Anything you tell CPS can end up in a criminal case.

Far too often, people make statements to CPS that prosecutors later use against them. Before you make any statement to anyone, talk to a lawyer.

Wayne County’s Special Victims Unit

In Wayne County, specialized prosecutors in the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office handle sex crime cases. Both teams below are part of its Special Victims Unit.

Child Abuse Unit: This unit handles sexual assault cases involving children 15 or younger.

Sexual Assault Team: This team handles sexual assault cases where the complainant is 16 or older when police receive the report.

Whenever possible, the office assigns one prosecutor to handle a case from start to finish. In Attorney Brown’s experience, these prosecutors have specialized training in the issues common to sex crime cases. For that reason, a Wayne County sex crime lawyer needs to know those issues just as well.

Forensic Interviews of Children

In cases involving children, investigators usually arrange a forensic interview. The interview matters, but it isn’t automatically reliable, and it isn’t automatically admissible at trial. A careful defense reviews the complete recording and asks key questions:

• Did the questions lead or suggest answers? Questions that introduce a person, act, or detail the child didn’t mention first can shape an account.
• What did the child hear before the interview? Exposure to adults, other children, or earlier interviews can influence what a child says.
• Did the account change over time? Changes across disclosures and interviews can matter.
• Is a witness vouching for the child? Michigan’s Supreme Court has held that witnesses, including experts, can’t tell the jury that a child was truthful or wasn’t coached.

Mandatory Reporters

Many child allegations start with a report from a mandatory reporter. Under Michigan law, teachers, school counselors, doctors, nurses, social workers, and many other professionals must report suspected abuse. As a result, a single statement at school can start both a CPS investigation and a police investigation, as in our Wayne County case.

Adult Allegations and Consent

In Attorney Brown’s experience, most adult accusations involve disputes about consent. Common issues include:

• Claims that drugs or alcohol left someone unable to consent
• Touching that happened without any sexual purpose
• Miscommunication about whether someone gave consent

Whatever the allegation, retain a qualified lawyer immediately. Texts, social media messages, phone records, and video can be critical, and you need to preserve them before they disappear.

Michigan Sex Crime Penalties

Michigan divides criminal sexual conduct into four degrees:

First-degree CSC: a felony punishable by up to life in prison. When the complainant is under 13 and the accused is 17 or older, a 25-year mandatory minimum applies.

Second-degree CSC: a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Third-degree CSC: a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Fourth-degree CSC: a misdemeanor punishable by up to 2 years and a fine of up to $500.

Some convictions also bring sex offender registration and lifetime electronic monitoring. For a detailed look at these charges, see our Michigan sex crimes page.

Which Wayne County Courts Hear Sex Crime Cases

Sex crime cases start in the district court where the alleged offense happened. Felony cases move to the Third Circuit Court at the Wayne County Criminal Justice Center in Detroit if bound over. We defend sex crime charges in every Wayne County district court, including the courts serving Detroit, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Livonia, Westland, and Canton.

We defend state CSC charges only, not federal cases. For sex crime defense in Oakland County, see our Oakland County sex crime page.

We also handle Wayne County domestic violence and drug cases.

Wayne County Sex Crime FAQ

Should I talk to CPS if I’m accused?

Not before you talk to a lawyer. CPS caseworkers aren’t police, so the protections of a police interrogation generally don’t apply, and CPS often shares what you say with law enforcement.

Who prosecutes sex crimes in Wayne County?

Specialized prosecutors in the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Special Victims Unit. The Child Abuse Unit handles cases involving children 15 or younger, and the Sexual Assault Team handles cases where the complainant is 16 or older.

Should I take a police polygraph?

Generally, no. Attorney Brown advises against taking a polygraph offered by investigators. When a polygraph makes sense, he arranges a private exam instead.

Can a sex crime case end before charges are filed?

Yes. When a Wayne County sex crime lawyer steps in early and presents the right information, investigators and prosecutors may decide not to charge, as in our Wayne County custody case.

Talk to a Wayne County Sex Crime Lawyer

• Former Detroit police officer who knows how police build sex crime investigations
• Assigned counsel in Wayne County Circuit Court from 2009 to 2020
• Licensed in Michigan since 2008, with experience before every district court judge in Wayne County
• Free, confidential consultations, available 24/7, in person at our Troy office or virtually
• Credit cards accepted and payment plans available

Call (248) 468-1468 or contact us online.