Attorney: Patrick Apple
Type of Case: Criminal Pre-Charge on Felony Rape Accusation
Case Result: Rape Charges Dropped
County: Guilford County
A young college-aged man was contacted by law enforcement. They asked to speak to him about a serious accusation from a young college-aged woman. The woman had filed a complaint with the police that our client had committed rape against her. The Client wisely declined to speak with the Detective and contacted Dummit Fradin instead.
If convicted of the rape charge, our client was facing an active prison sentence, registration on the sex offender list, and the inability to apply for US citizenship. So, he hired criminal attorney Patrick Apple to represent him on a pre-charge investigation. Our client had no idea where the accusation could have come from. Patrick Apple worked with our client to reconstruct a timeline of recent events. Afterward, they were able to narrow the focus down to one possible night and thus guess the identity of the accuser.
The client consistently denied the rape accusation and it was shaping up to be his word versus her word.
Building a Strong Defense
The current social culture tends to change the long-held tradition of a presumption of innocence to a presumption of guilt. Our client did not have his own witnesses. He only had text messages that corroborated his timeline but nothing extraordinarily specific. Our Client was consistent in his statements. But, he often phrased things poorly that could be taken out of context as an inference of guilt. Yet, attorney Patrick Apple consistently worked with the client.
In the end, they were able to reconstruct the events and prepare to meet with the Detective. After carefully reviewing the Client’s text messages Patrick determined that they helped our client and he voluntarily disclosed them to law enforcement which is something we usually do not do. Patrick recognized that our client did not have anything to hide but could still be seen as guilty despite no wrongdoing. The best defense was a good offense in this particular case.
At the end of the recorded interview, the Detective told Patrick and his client that they had been more forthcoming and helpful than the accuser. Our client was also the only party to hand over text messages. The witnesses to the event corroborated our client’s testimony as well. So, the charges were ultimately dropped.
Our Client Avoids a Rape Charge
Early on in the case, Patrick was able to identify the cause behind the accusation. A young lady in a relationship with a third party decided to have consensual intercourse with another person, our client. Once the boyfriend found out, the accuser then tried to cover her tracks by making a rape accusation against our client. Our client could have been falsely tried, sentenced, and stigmatized for an offense he did not commit. But, thankfully our client trusted in our criminal defense team and he was able to avoid charges.
Our Client can now go forward with his effort to become a United States citizen. He can continue his college education. He does not have to register as a sex offender, his criminal record is protected, and he is not stigmatized by the existence of a pending rape charge.
Accused of a Serious Crime in NC?
If you’re accused of a serious crime, such as rape, we urge you to contact an attorney before speaking to any law enforcement officer. It does not matter if you are innocent or guilty. Often times, innocent people can make the situation worse by the statements they provide to law enforcement.
Contact Dummit Fradin today for a free criminal consultation in Winston-Salem, Greensboro, or High Point, NC.