If you have been accused of child abuse in Minnesota, the first thing to do is to exercise your right to remain silent. Do not discuss the facts of the child abuse allegations with the police or any other person. Whether you are a suspect in a child abuse investigation or a defendant facing a criminal charge, any statement you make is not considered hearsay and can be used against you at trial. In other words, any person who heard you make an incriminating statement can testify in court as to what you said.
The second thing to do is to retain a Minnesota criminal defense attorney who has experience in defending persons charged with child abuse. The attorney will need to have experience in questioning child witnesses and an ability to find the legal loophole. The jury will start out the trial believing that you are guilty of child abuse and will not take into consideration the fact that under our system of justice you are presumed to be innocent of the offense. There is a strong instinct among jurors to believe the testimony of the child abuse victim and to protect them. If the defense cross-examination of the child victim is too vigorous and appears unfair, jurors will have sympathy for the child and hold it against the defense lawyer and his client. You will need to retain a lawyer who understands these dynamics.
If you or someone you know is a suspect or defendant in a child abuse case, call criminal defense attorney Robert J. Shane for a free phone consultation at (612) 339-1024. Mr. Shane has experience in defending against child abuse accusations and understands how to cross-examine the child witness an select a jury who can become fair to the defense case. Mr. Shane has won an acquittal on all charges in a child abuse case in Kanabec County, MN.
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