Annoying or Molesting a Child - Penal Code 647.6 PC
As you might guess, a California Penal Code 647.6 PC is a very politically charged and serious crime. You are potentially facing time in state prison, lifetime registration as a sex offender, and other restrictions depending on the specific facts of your cases.
The police, prosecutors, and judges treat these cases with priority and are laser-focused on punishing the offender and making sure that society is protected.
Therefore, you must have an attorney that is equally focused on protecting your rights, reputation, and freedom. For a more detailed analysis of what you are facing, you should set up a face-to-face consultation to flush out exactly what you are looking at in a confidential setting.
You are encouraged to be honest and straightforward with precisely the facts surrounding your case…this way; you can receive the most accurate direct response in return.
What is the Best Defense Strategy?
Your first move should be to consult with a local attorney that handles these types of offenses in the courthouse where your case is pending. Most courthouses have special units that prosecute these cases. If your attorney is not familiar with the political climate and how things work in the court where your case is pending, it could spell disaster for you!
These cases are no joke, and the prosecutors and judges will show no mercy. Your attorney must be battle-tested and know precisely what needs to be done to achieve the best possible result for their client.
Another essential thing to consider is meeting the attorney with the proper mindset. From the first meeting, a savvy attorney that handles sex crimes will be formulating your defense.
It is up to you to tell your story from the police or prosecutor's perspective, so the attorney will know from the beginning what you are up against. You will most certainly have defenses for the allegations. Still, if you do not spell out those allegations and the evidence the prosecution will rely on, you are doing your attorney and yourself a disservice.
There will be time to plan and execute a defense, but first, all the facts must be laid out in a straightforward “no holds barred” manner. This is how you will be defended the right way, and your attorney will be best prepared to meet the prosecutor and judge.
Child molestation is an evil crime that requires a skilled, aggressive, and experienced defense attorney. These types of charges can result in severe penalties.
California Penal Code 647.6 punishes acts of child molestation which includes any lewd or obscene acts against minors. A felony conviction of child molestation may result in a minimum of 3 years and up to 10 years in prison, along with excessive fines and mandatory PC 290 registration.
Time is not to be wasted if you are facing child molestation charges. We need to get started on your case immediately to gather and contest all the evidence presented against you.
The initial strategy meeting is critical in deciding the direction of your case and making the right moves from the beginning of the case. Once we set the course on how your child molestation case will be handled, everything that we do after that will be zeroed in on our ultimate goal and game plan. I encourage you to use my 25 years of experience to ensure that your rights, reputation, and freedom are protected, and you end up with the best possible result.
Our sex crime defense lawyers are here to protect your legal rights and do everything we can to get you the best results possible.
What Does the Prosecutor Have to Prove?
The government must prove the following elements, beyond a reasonable doubt, to convict a suspect of child molestation:
- Suspect engaged in conduct directed at the child;
- an average person would have been disturbed, irritated, offended, or injured by the contact;
- The conduct was motivated by unnatural or sexual interest in the child AND
- The child was under 18 years at the time of the conduct.
As the courts take this offense very seriously, the conduct by the suspect party will be scrutinized to the harshest standard. Reasonable belief that the minor was of age is a defense, so the suspect's state of mind and beliefs will factor into the case.
July 2015 – San Fernando Court – Successful Case Result
San Fernando Superior Courthouse – case dismissed against a client who was arrested for violating Penal Code Section 288 (a). The client hired the Hedding Law Firm after being arrested and posting a $100,000 bail.
Following the initial meeting with the client and getting their side of the story, I sent the District Attorney's Office a letter and then followed up with a call to make sure that they had all of the facts before deciding whether to file this case against my client.
After reviewing the defense investigation package, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office decides not to file a case against my client. Even though my client was innocent, he was arrested based on false allegations and had to defend himself.
This is not the first time that I have had a severe sex crime not filed by the DA's Office. The prosecutors in Los Angeles know that they have to prove every case they file beyond a reasonable doubt. If they see problems with the case, they will not file it. They are in the business of making sure justice is done.
Related Content:
- Can I Have Contact With My Children While Facing A Child Molestation Charge?
- Who Is Considered To Be A Child In A Sex Crime In Los Angeles County?
- What Prosecutors Must Prove For Lewd Acts on Minor by Force or Fear Charges
- Punishments in a California Child Molestation Case
- What Are You Facing If Charged with PC 288 Lewd Acts with a Minor?
- How to Get the Best Result in a Child Molestation Case?