The Special Assault Defense Blog | The Marshall Defense Firm

Courtyard of Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, USA

Facing disciplinary action from a college or university can be a harrowing experience for any student. Not only is your reputation at stake, but also your ability to complete your education. If you have been...

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What Is a Sexual Assault Protection Order?

28 Jul 2017

The Marshall Defense Firm

When you learn that someone is seeking a Sexual Assault Protection Order (SAPO) against you, you will naturally have a lot of questions. What is a SAPO? How will it affect me and those closest...

Caucasian teen sitting on ground with head down and elbows on knees wearing handcuffs

Why Teens Who Commit Sex Offenses Rarely Do It Again

24 Jul 2017

The Marshall Defense Firm

Many of us get our perceptions of sexual assault and other crimes from the media, television, and movies. While these depictions focus on stories that will boost ratings, web traffic, and ticket sales, they may...

To Testify or Not to Testify? What Factors Defendants in Special Assault Cases Should Consider

21 Jul 2017

The Marshall Defense Firm

If you are facing special assault charges, one of your concerns may be navigating the complexities of trial. You may be feeling anxious about what will happen at trial and especially about the possibility that...

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Reducing the Adult Consequences of Teenage Mistakes

18 Jul 2017

The Marshall Defense Firm

This spring’s news about the Oregon State University baseball team shows how teenaged errors of some kinds can dog a person into adulthood. Luke Heimlich, the star pitcher of the OSU team, found himself in...

Researcher putting sample of DNA test into a test tube

DNA’s Gold Standard Begins to Tarnish

07 Jul 2017

Alexei Garick

The forensic gold standard that is DNA has begun to show signs of tarnishing. Once believed to be infallible, the shortcomings and potential errors inherent in testing ever smaller quantities of DNA have begun to...

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Here Is What Happens When You Register as a Sex Offender in Washington

06 Jul 2017

The Marshall Defense Firm

Registering as a sex offender is an understandably daunting and unpleasant task. Understanding your legal rights and responsibilities, however, is crucial to making sure you can get on with your life. This piece answers common...

Scales of Justice and Judge's gavel with rows of books in background

Grooming: Fact or Fiction?

01 Jun 2017

Alexei Garick

Recently the Court of Appeals reversed a Washington man’s convictions, finding that a prosecutor committed misconduct by arguing facts not in evidence about the phenomenon known as “sexual grooming.” In our cases at The Marshall...

two silhouettes of heads, one with a red blindfold and one without a blindfold

To Be Blind or Not to Be Blind? Forensic Interviews in Child Sexual Abuse Cases

01 Mar 2017

The Marshall Defense Firm

An important question for forensic interviewers of children in alleged abuse cases is whether to gather information about the case before interviewing the child. The Supreme Court suggested in the 1989 case Idaho v. Wright...

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NCMEC and the Fourth Amendment

02 Dec 2016

Alexei Garick

U.S. v. Ackerman (2016)

special assault criminal defense lawyer word collage

Defending Special Assault Cases—Uniquely Challenging, Uniquely Rewarding

16 Feb 2016

Aimée Sutton

My job is unique. People seem to get that almost immediately. When I meet someone new, the conversation often goes like this: “What do you do for a living?” “I’m a lawyer.” “What kind of...

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Assessing the Abel Assessment

10 Aug 2015

The Marshall Defense Firm

The Abel Assessment for Sexual Interest—AASI—is a computer-based test used to measure a person’s sexual interests, especially towards children. Developed by Dr. Gene Abel over the last two decades, it is regularly used to help...