Date Rape or Acquaintance Rape

Seattle Sexual Abuse Defense Attorney

False Accusations of Date Rape

At the Meryhew Law Group, PLLC we have extensive experience fighting false allegations of date rape or acquaintance rape. These allegations are made for many reasons, but the common elements in the cases we see are the presence of alcohol or drugs and poor choices that seem to force an accuser into a corner where the accusation is the only way out.

At The Meryhew Law Group, we’ve successfully represented many people who find themselves accused after an evening of too much drink and other poor choices. If you are accused of raping someone who is too drunk to consent to sexual contact, then you are potentially facing very serious charges. It is Rape in the Second Degree, a Class A felony with several years in prison, lifetime Probation and lifetime sex offender registration, to have sexual intercourses with someone who is physically helpless or mentally incapacitated at the time of the contact. But if an accuser was intoxicated and does not remember giving consent when they wake the next day, then he or she may decide they must have been raped.

What are the Reasons You’ve Seen That People Falsely Accuse an Adult of Date Rape or Acquaintance Rape?

Whatever the reason for the allegations, at the Meryhew Law Group we have extensive trial experience fighting these allegations with a successful track record of trial outcomes.

We have worked on many cases where accusations are made for a variety of reasons, including:

• Getting caught cheating on a spouse or partner.
• Getting caught by parents after being out all night.
• Remorse or regret after a night of drinking or using drugs.
• Getting too drunk to remember, but not too drunk to seem to consent.
• The accuser wants to “get even” for some reason or another.

What About the Police? Why Can’t Their Investigation Clear Me?

Talking with the police without an attorney present to guide you can be the biggest mistake of your life. By talking to the police without counsel, and a tape recorder, you give the police permission to summarize what you say and put words in your mouth. Everything you say can and will be used against you, and the outcome of an interview with a Detective who believes you are guilty before they ever talk to you can be disastrous.

At the Meryhew Law Group we do occasionally counsel our clients to talk with the investigating Detective, and we have a strong track record of having investigations result in no charges ever being filed against our clients in many of these cases. But those conversations occur only in rare cases and in very controlled situations where your words cannot be so easily twisted against you. If you are being investigated for a false sexual misconduct allegation call us today.

What About the Fact That We’ve had Consensual Sex Before? Or That she had Sex With Other People the Same Night?

Washington’s Rape Shield law does allow evidence of prior sexual contact with the alleged victim to be admitted in cases where the defense is consent so long as the issue is raised in a pretrial hearing. But the fact that the alleged victim had sexual contact with other people in the past is considered irrelevant and cannot be argued at trial.

What can I Expect if I Hire the Meryhew Law Group?

Knowledgeable, experienced and common sense advice from a team of top notch lawyers who have earned their reputations as leaders in their field. At the Meryhew Law Group we employ a team approach, so that your case has the benefit of multiple lawyers and other staff members all working together to insure the best outcome we can achieve for our clients. When you have The Meryhew Law Group on your side, you have defense attorney who will take the time to answer your questions completely, and to advise you directly and clearly at every step of the process.

Consult the Meryhew Law Group immediately if you are falsely accused of a date rape or acquaintance rape.