Murfreesboro Defense Attorneys Vigorously Protect Your Rights and Your Reputation if You’ve Been Accused of Rape

Society and the stigma of rape accusations

Those charged with sexual crimes are never popular in the public opinion. If you've been accused of rape, you may be overwhelmed by the stigma attached to the accusation—both privately and in the court of public opinion. If you've been accused of date rape, the Murfreesboro criminal defense team at Taylor Law Group puts our years-long experience to work employing a strong defense on your behalf.

What is date rape?

Traditionally, date rape involved one person having unconsented sex with a known acquaintance, often after social interaction at a restaurant or in an intimate setting. Then the 1990s saw the use of odorless and tasteless drugs that impaired a person's mental capacity, either by reducing inhibitions or rendering them unconscious. Common drugs used include HGB (“liquid ecstasy” or “lollipops”) or Rohypnol (“roofies” or “Mexican valium”). The term date rape expanded to include the use of a drug on an unsuspecting person met in a bar or other setting usually involving alcohol, where the drug is surreptitiously poured into the victim's drink.

Tennessee rape law

The criminal code provides that rape is the defendant's “unlawful sexual penetration of a victim” accompanied by one of these four categories of conduct:

1. Force or coercion is used to accomplish the act;

2. The sexual penetration is accomplished without the consent of the victim and the defendant knows or has reason to know at the time of the penetration that the victim did not consent;

3. The defendant knows or has reason to know that the victim is mentally defective, mentally incapacitated or physically helpless; or

4. The sexual penetration is accomplished by fraud.

Rape is a Class B felony, which means a prison term of 8 to 30 years and a fine of up to $25,000 for first time offenders.

Defense of rape allegations

Based on the circumstances of your alleged misconduct, we develop a defense strategy suited to you. This strategy involves our own independent investigations exploring possible defenses. These include the actual state of victim's consent, lack of evidence to support a conviction, and other issues like mistaken identity or failure to follow standard evidentiary protocols.

Get the aggressive criminal defense representation you need today

If you've been accused of date rape, don't go it alone. Our knowledgeable Murfreesboro sex crime defense team helps you handle the stigma associated with allegations of sexual misconduct and we work hard to ensure fair treatment throughout interaction with law enforcement—from initial interviews to trial. Regardless of the crimes alleged, the accused and defendant are considered innocent until proven guilty. Contact us online anytime or call us at 615-890-1982. We represent clients in Murfreesboro and Middle Tennessee.