Marital rape, a serious crime, is treated with utmost seriousness by the police, prosecutors, and judges. In my extensive 25-year career in criminal defense, I have encountered spousal rape cases only infrequently. The issue of consent is a pivotal factor in these cases.
The spouse alleges that they were raped to convince the authorities and, ultimately, a jury, if it goes that far, that there was no consent related to what happened.
When people are married, it is assumed by most reasonable people that they will engage in normal sexual relations.
So, in a way, there's a bit of presumption there that it is impossible to rape your spouse. However, this is not accurate, and there are spousal rape cases that are filed every day; it just depends on the circumstances of the case.
What Must the Prosecutor Prove?
To prove a spousal rape case in Los Angeles County, the prosecutors and police know that they're going to have to be able to establish some sort of force or some act by the alleged perpetrator against the will of the alleged victim.
The type of activities necessary for the prosecutors to prove a spousal rape case relate to using force against the victim. The question becomes, how do they prove that force was used if they don't have any witnesses that can corroborate the alleged victim's story? This underscores the uphill battle prosecutors face in these cases.
In a one-on-one situation, the challenge for prosecutors is to establish the alleged victim's truthfulness against the accused spouse's denial of such a serious crime.
When it's one person's word against another's, the problem arises that prosecutors must meet a high standard in a criminal case, which is to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
And when one party says one thing, and the other party says something else, this pretty much adds up to a 50/50 tie. In legal terms, this means that if the evidence is evenly balanced, the jury is instructed to find the defendant not guilty. This is a fundamental principle in criminal law and applies to spousal rape cases as well.
In other words, if there's evidence on one side that shows that there's spousal rape, and there's evidence on the other side that show's that there's not and there's some reason the person might have made this up, then the jury is to find the defendant not guilty.
Other areas that I see these types of cases filed in are if somebody threatens another person, if they do not engage in any sex, they will get another person physically, do something to them physically, or report them to authorities for another person.
Under these circumstances, this can also be filed as a spousal rape case and be prosecuted. However, you still face the same issue if you're a police officer or prosecutor: how do you prove that someone who's just making an allegation is telling the truth, versus the person who's being accused, who will, of course, have a version as well. It will be countered by what the other party is saying.
This leaves the police and prosecutors in a challenging position. This is probably why you don't see a lot of spousal rape cases being filed in LA County.
What it Will Take to Prosecute a Spousal Rape Case?
For the prosecutors to feel comfortable that they have sufficient evidence to go after somebody for spousal rape, they're going to need to have facts and circumstances surrounding whatever event is claimed to have taken place, supporting the victim's version of the event.
For example, if there are injuries on the victim consistent with their story and consistent with being raped, that would be evidence they could use to attempt to prosecute somebody for this crime.
Bruises, cuts, and other injuries are consistent with somebody who has been raped. They'll bring the alleged victim in for a SART examination, which is a comprehensive medical and forensic evaluation conducted by a nurse practitioner or a doctor. They will look at their entire body to see if they can find injuries consistent with somebody who's been raped.
Without this corroboration, it is tough for the prosecutors to prove the case. The defense is also entitled to have their expert look at the results of the SART examination and give an opinion on whether they think the alleged victim was raped.
Prosecutors could establish a spousal rape case if witnesses could corroborate some of the alleged victim's stories. For instance, victims of sexual assault sometimes communicate their distress to friends and family, providing evidence of intimidation, threats, or coercion.
For example, sometimes, people who are sexually assaulted will text their friends and their family, and their friends and family will see evidence that the person is being intimidated, threatened, or even forced to be used against them.
Witnesses are another way to corroborate an alleged victim's story, and prosecutors use them frequently to avoid relying solely on the victim's account. They have other people that can say yes, I saw this; I saw that, and then they put that together with the alleged victim's story, and they're able to make a case for spousal rape.
Defenses to Spousal Rape Cases
One of the most commonly used defenses in a spousal rape case is consent. Meaning if the other party consented to the sexual activity, then it is not appropriate for someone to be convicted of marital rape.
There are circumstances where somebody is intoxicated to a high level and claims that another party forced them to have sex, or there are circumstances where the person is unconscious. They claim that somebody took advantage of them.
In this case, it would be their spouse who had sex with them against their will. Again, the prosecutors need evidence to back this story up or not file this type of case.
Because every time that I see spousal rape cases being filed, there's always some contention by the other party that their significant other consented to the sex.
As you can see, navigating a spousal rape case involves many elements. The best approach to this situation is to consult with your criminal defense attorney, discuss every detail, and be honest about what happened. With their expertise, they can guide you through the prosecution's perspective, potential punishment, and defense strategy, providing you with the necessary support and protection of your rights.
Once I hear what's happened and gather all the information, having handled thousands of criminal cases, I can give the person an idea of what the prosecutors will be thinking, both in terms of prosecution and punishment. I'm also able to give the person an idea of what type of defense we may have to refute these charges. It's important to note that in a spousal rape case, the defense attorney plays a crucial role in ensuring the accused's rights are protected and in presenting a strong defense.
Of course, suppose the prosecutors have the necessary evidence to prove the case. In that case, I can sit down with the person who is charged, review everything, and determine what mitigation measures we can take. This will enable me to approach the prosecutor and judge to explore potential resolutions.
Can The Prosecutor Prove Their Case to a Jury?
What these cases of spousal rape boil down to is whether or not the prosecutors can prove their case to a jury.
Ultimately, whenever a criminal case is filed, the person is entitled to a jury trial. That means twelve community members sit there, listen to the evidence, and decide whether or not this person is guilty of the crime.
Therefore, it is an excellent exercise to fast-forward to the beginning of the case and say, "Okay, what do they have?" "What do they have? Can they make their case to a jury? "
Suppose the answer is yes, based on the physical evidence, the circumstances, and the statements. In that case, we'll obviously want to design a plan to mitigate this situation and explore what we can do to preserve your rights, reputation, and freedom.
That takes you and me working together, going over everything honestly, making the right decisions at the right time, and executing the plan that will get you out of the criminal justice system as fast as possible.
This is where I come in, and this is why I'm retained to handle these cases: I know what it will take to get you the result you need, and I've been down this path before, achieving success.
