When facing serious criminal charges in Missouri, it is often impossible to predict an outcome. The defense process is often customizable and each situation may include various options for fighting against existing charges. If a conviction is handed down in court, it does not necessarily mean an end to the legal process, as made evident by a recent situation where a man convicted of sodomy is appealing his placement in a sex offender program.
The 51-year-old man has been sentenced to a state treatment program after serving time in prison for sodomizing a child. Apparently, he is the first individual ever to appeal such state-approved sentencing in Missouri. His attorney has argued that no one has ever been released from the program; therefore, the punishment is punitive and unfair.
The attorney has told the court her client would likely be confined indefinitely. She said the state should have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the man is more likely to commit additional sex offenses than not before requiring him enter the program. An assistant attorney general for the state said the system already provides opportunity for release and makes certain that offenders’ rights are protected.
Anyone in Missouri who has yet to stand trial for charges such as sodomy or other sex-related offenses may contact an experienced criminal attorney for assistance in building a strong defense. Penalties under conviction for such crimes are often quite severe. It is therefore logical to enlist any and all available support to increase one’s chances of obtaining a positive outcome in court.
Source: stltoday.com, “Missouri Supreme Court debates sex offender confinement“, Summer Ballentine, Nov. 16, 2016