California Sex Crimes Defense Attorneys

What You Need to Know About Sex-Related Criminal Charges

Over the past 30 years Wallin and Klarich has probably defended more persons accused of sex offenses than any other private law firm in Southern California. We have been representing the California Teachers Association for well over 20 years. This means we are the lawyer that most school teachers and educators hire when they find themselves accused of a sex offense. Literally hundreds of clients have put their faith in our law firm when facing a serious sexual offense.

Wallin and Klarich has developed a unique understanding of how these cases work and an aggressive, thorough approach to defending them. Defending sex crime charges is a complex and specialized type of criminal defense. Few criminal defense lawyers have the experience, training and resources necessary to win a sex-related case.

Our law firm has handled many high profile sexual abuse cases involving school teachers, doctors and other professionals. We often appear on various radio and television programs as consultants when a sexual offense has received media attention. We have given seminars on how to properly defend sexual offense crimes for many years.

Many of our other clients in this area have been referred to us by other attorneys, judges or mental health professionals who recognize our reputation and track record.

Sex-related crimes defined by California law include:

• Lewd act with a child (molestation of a child under 14 years old)
• Molestation of a child 14 years or older
• Forcible rape
• Statutory rape (consensual intercourse with someone under the age of 18)
• Obligation to register as a sex offender with the local police
• Possession of obscene matter
• Indecent exposure
• Lewd act in public place
• Solicitation of prostitution
• Sexual battery (forcible sexual activity other than intercourse)

If you are convicted of a sexual offense in California you may be required to register as a sexual offender. This may require you to have your name appear on the internet. In addition this will require annual registration at the local police department where you reside.

Those convicted of a sex crime may be subjected to a lengthy prison sentence or a long probationary sentence with very difficult conditions imposed.

It is critical that you seek out the advise of an experienced criminal defense law firm when you are first accused of a sex offense. We have unfortunately seen how badly cases can be handled when a lawyer takes on a sexual abuse case without the adequate experience. We are often called up well after a case has commenced , after another attorney’s actions or inactions has cost a client their freedom or family.

If Wallin & Klarich is able to start defending you early in the case, we can make arrangements to minimize the embarrassment and pain of being prosecuted for a sex crime. Rather than allowing you to be arrested at home or at work, we can contact law enforcement and attempt to arrange for you to turn yourself in. We can attempt to have you released on your own recognizance or on significantly reduced bail. And in some cases, we can negotiate with prosecutors before charges are filed, convincing them to file less serious charges than law enforcement requested, or sometimes no charges at all.

When defending a client against a sex crime charges, Wallin & Klarich mounts a thorough defense by often arranging a psychological evaluation of the client. Many times, this evaluation shows that the client doesn’t fit the sexual profile of the crime he or she is charged with. We will also often enlist the assistance of medical experts to review medical records as well as investigators to interview key witnesses. In some cases we are able to uncover a past history of dishonesty on the accuser’s part; or evidence that the accuser has a motive to lie.

Testimonials

Sex Crimes

I was devastated when police served a search warrant at my home and seized my computers and arrested me for a felony sex crime. I found the law offices of Wallin & Klarich on the internet and immediately made an appointment to meet with my attorney. My attorney listened to my side of the story and I was convinced I hired the right firm after meeting with him. When the case got to court, the District Attorney’s offer was to plead guilty to a felony, serve 1 year in county jail and to register as a sex offender. My attorney was persistent in his negotiations with the DA and was able to convince them to drop my case to a misdemeanor with no jail time and no registration. I was overjoyed with the result and I want to sincerely thank Wallin & Klarich for all of their time and effort on my case.

– E. B.

I was charged with felony sexual battery. I was facing serious prison time, life long sex offender registration, and the loss of my career. With so much on the line, I put my entire future in the hands of Wallin and Klarich. From day one my attorney, David Cohn (who is a partner at Wallin & Klarich), fought long and tirelessly on my behalf in order to prove my innocence. I was treated with respect and I felt like I was a priority at their office. Mr. Cohn and the people at Wallin & Klarich spent countless hours working on my case to prove my innocence, and Mr. Cohn did a fantastic job presenting my case to the jury. In the end, when the jury came back with not guilty verdicts, I knew that Wallin & Klarich’s efforts in proving my innocence prevailed. I would highly recommend Wallin & Klarich to anybody looking for a top notch criminal defense firm.

– Anonymous

My son was facing serious felony molestation charges in Juvenile Court. We hired criminal defense attorney Daniel V. Cota of the law firm of Wallin & Klarich to represent my son. It was a very long process, but Mr. Cota was with us throughout each step of the way. At the conclusion, my son avoided any time in custody and we were able to put this entire ordeal behind us. Thank you Mr. Cota for all of your help with my son’s case. We really appreciate it.

– Anonymous

I WAS ACCUSED OF Rape of a child under 12 years of age, sodomy of a child less than 12 years of age and indecent acts with a child under 12 years of age. I faced a maximum of life imprisonment if convicted of these crimes. I was referred to the law firm of Wallin & Klarich, a firm I was told had tremendous experience defending against child molests cases. I was given a Wallin & Klarich attorney who was familiar with my jurisdiction. The attorneys of Wallin & Klarich moved aggressively to present my case in the best light to the court and negotiate with my prosecutor. My Wallin & Klarich attorney filed 8 evidentiary motions in order to put my case in the best possible position when the case went in front of the jury. While the jury was deliberating the prosecutor mentioned to my attorney that upon conviction he would request 28 years in prison. However, after a little more then an hour of deliberating the jury came back not guilty on all counts. I walked out of the courtroom a free man and back to my family and job. Were it not for the attorney of Wallin & Klarich my life would have been ruined. As a result I enthusiastically recommend them for any child molests or criminal matters.

– J.M.

I was charged with 10 counts of Penal Code Section 288(a) for lewd and lascivious acts upon two children under the age of 14 years; I was also charged with 6 counts of Penal Code section 288.5 for continual sexual abuse of two children under the age of 14 years. Because of the nature of these crimes I was facing 56 years in prison.

I was referred to the law offices of Wallin & Klarich whom I was told are highly experienced in cases where child abuse in alleged; in addition, Wallin & Klarich places particular attorneys in each court so that they become familiar with the court personnel to included the District Attorney and the Judges. My Wallin & Klarich attorney was very familiar with the court my case was in and as a result had a good relationship with the District Attorneys in that court. My Wallin & Klarich attorney negotiated my case with the District Attorney pointing out the shortcomings in their case with the end result that All Charges Were Dismissed in a relatively short period of time after I hired them. This results allowed me to get my life back together and ended an enormous amount of stress. As such I would enthusiastically recommend Wallin & Klarich for any criminal matter.

– S.C.

I received a letter in the mail from the District Attorney’s office informing me that I was being charged with sexual battery against a woman I was seeing. Needless to say I was distraught over the entire ordeal. Here I was facing a year in jail and if convicted, I would have to register as a sex offender for the rest of my life! I knew I needed an attorney who would aggressively advocate my case because I was innocent and was being wrongly accused of a horrific crime. My relations were consensual and now to be accused that I forced myself upon someone against their will was not only completely out of character, it was disturbing.

I opened the yellow pages and come across hundreds of different ads for attorneys and didn’t know which to pick. I called a few and was disappointed, until I called the law firm of Wallin and Klarich. The conversation I had with an attorney was so reassuring that I made an appointment and went into their Tustin office to sit down and further discuss my case.

I met with an attorney and after discussing what really happened I knew she was the right attorney to represent me. Although I knew I was innocent, I was afraid because the criminal process really feels as though I have to prove I’m innocent, not that the prosecution has to prove I’m guilty. I am so appreciative that she was successful in arguing my case and pointing out all the inconsistencies in the police report and what the alleged victim had said I had done. It was all a lie and she was able to show that and bring the truth to the forefront.

Anyone going through such a horrid ordeal should have someone like Wallin & Klarich representing them. Wallin & Klarich’s knowledge of the law, along with the fact that they believed me and actually cared about the truth is what made the difference in my case. Thanks to her abilities, my case was dismissed.

Very truly yours,
Anonymous

I wanted to express my enormous relief and gratitude to Wallin & Klarich. My son was arrested for statutory rape and domestic battery. The allegations were extremely serious. We were concerned that our son would end up in jail and also be branded a “sex offender” for the rest of his life. What made the case more difficult was that the police claimed that my son admitted to a sexual relationship with a minor.

We didn’t know where to turn. We retained the experienced law firm of Wallin and Klarich to help our son. We knew they would have their work cutout for them. Wallin and Klarich was able to determine that the prosecution might have difficulty with proving certain elements of the crimes charges. The prosecutor was insisting on a 90 day jail sentence and a guilty plea. This would have required our son to miss a semester of school and be exposed to what could happen to him in jail.

Wallin and Klarich, after a very tough battle, was able to convince the judge to dismiss the statutory rape charge. Our son plead guilty to the battery charge only. He was spared any jail time. He has to do an anger management program and eight hours of community work service and some “cal trans” time.

Our family lives out of State and soon after our son was arrested our lawyers arranged for our son to be permitted to return to his home. This case was going on for many months. However, throughout the process whenever we would email or contact Wallin and Klarich they would gladly speak to us and explain what was going on with the case. We felt from day one we were in good hands with Wallin and Klarich.

We would strongly recommend Wallin and Klarich if your family has a loved one facing criminal charges. Going through the criminal process can be a frightening experience. If you are lucky enough to find a law firm like Wallin and Klarich willing to fight for you will be fortunate.

– Anonymous

More California Sex Crime Information

• Sex Crimes: What You Need to Know