News of celebrities allegedly behaving badly always grabs a lot of attention, and the latest of such stories involves singer Green, who was accused of sexually assaulting a woman after secretly giving her Ecstasy. In a story filed by Alan Duke and Michael Pearson, CNN reports that while Green is being charged for giving the woman drugs, he will not be charged with rape:
CeeLo Green, a singer who is a coach on the television singing competition “The Voice,” has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of giving the drug Ecstasy to a woman who also accused him of sexually assaulting her last year, according to prosecutors.
But the 38-year-old Atlanta singer, who rose to worldwide fame with the hit songs “Forget You” and “Crazy,” will not face sexual assault charges after prosecutors concluded there wasn’t enough evidence to take that accusation to court, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement released Monday.
The singer expressed his relief and confidence that his name would be cleared once the investigation is completed. Since the essence of law is to consider everyone innocent until proven guilty, he and others that are accused of any crime deserve to be heard and properly represented in court. Allegations of criminal wrongdoing, especially sex crimes, can seriously damage a person’s reputation and career so it’s not fair for people and the media to judge a person until the legal process is finished.
Definitions of sexual assault and indecency with a child vary from state to state and the alleged criminal sex acts may be consensual or non-consensual. Crimes such as statutory rape (a.k.a. “sexual assault of a child” or “indecency with a child” by contact or exposure), typically involve sexual acts between an adult and a minor. The procedural and substantive laws for these crimes vary greatly, depending on the facts and the jurisdiction. For example, the prevailing Texas age of consent is 17, but there is a notable exception under Texas law when the parties are within three years age of one another. Even when the parties are more than three years apart in age, the best criminal defense attorneys in Houston and elsewhere may find other ways to successfully defend the charges in court. It is unfortunate that child sexual assault and other sex crime cases often involve false accusations that only seek to take advantage of the defendants’ situation.
The complexities involving such cases and others in this field can be confusing, making the services of a competent sex crimes lawyer invaluable for one’s defense. Residents of Houston who may have been wrongly accused should immediately seek the help of a seasoned Houston sex crimes lawyer from firms like the Scheiner Law Group, P.C, to clear their names.
(From CeeLo Green accused of giving woman Ecstasy, but DA declines rape charge, CNN, October 22, 2013)