(262) 786-7100
Start with a FREE Consultation:
(262) 786-7100
Grieve Law’s West Bend criminal defense attorneys offer payment plans in Washington county. This allows clients to easier manage the cost of representation. Grieve Law runs on a flat fee system where you know how much your case will cost before you sign on with an attorney.
Being charged with sexual assault in West Bend could be based on lots of different forms of conduct. Rape is most commonly associated with sexual assault charges, however, sexual intercourse is not required to be charged with a sexual assault. Groping someone, on top of their clothes, at a bar or on the dance floor can result in charges for sexual assault.
Sexual assault charges in Wisconsin are separated by degree.
One of five situations must be present to be charged with First Degree Sexual Assault:
A conviction for First Degree Sexual Assault is a class B felony with a maximum prison sentence of 60 years and a lifetime sex offender registration. If the victim of a First Degree Sexual Assault is under the age of 13 and suffers great bodily harm, including pregnancy, the maximum prison sentence is extended to life in prison.
Examples of conduct that falls under second-degree sexual assaults include:
If the victim is unconscious, mentally impaired, intoxicated or is a patient or inmate and the actor is the caregiver or prison guard, First Degree Sexual Assault can also be charged. Lastly, it can be charged if the victim is under the age of 16 and sexual contact or intercourse is not done by force, threat of force, violence or resulting in injury.
A conviction for Second Degree Sexual Assault is a class C felony with a maximum prison sentence of 40 years, a $100,000 fine or both. A Second Degree Sexual Assault can result in sex offender registration for at least 15 years.
Third Degree Sexual Assault is defined as sexual contact or intercourse without consent that is defecating, urinating or ejaculating on someone for the purpose of degrading them.
A conviction for Third Degree Sexual Assault is a class G felony with a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, a $25,000 fine, or both. Upon conviction, sex offender registration can be required.
Fourth Degree Sexual Assault is sexual contact without consent. The previous example of groping someone at the bar above or below their clothing would constitute Fourth Degree Sexual Assault.
A conviction for Fourth Degree Sexual Assault is a class A misdemeanor, with a maximum jail sentence of 9 months, a $10,000 fine or both. If convicted a person can be required to register as a sex offender for a period of time.
Possession of child pornography is a Class D felony with penalties of up to 25 years in prison and $100,000 in fines per image in Ozaukee or Washington County. If the accused is under 18, the charge becomes a Class I felony with a maximum of 3.5 years in jail and $10,000 in fines per count. Wisconsin law mandates a minimum sentence of 3 years for each conviction. Judges cannot waive incarceration.
To convict, the state must prove you knowingly possessed explicit content involving minors and reasonably should have known the individuals were under 18. Each file or image can be charged as a separate felony, quickly compounding prison time and financial consequences.
Our attorneys challenge the case by reviewing whether law enforcement followed proper procedures, if possession can be clearly proven, or if digital evidence was misinterpreted or unlawfully obtained. With so much at stake, Grieve Law builds a strategic defense to protect your rights and fight for dismissal or reduction.
Statutory rape in Ozaukee or Washington County is a Class C felony punishable by up to 40 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. If the victim is under 13, the charge escalates to a Class B felony with a 60-year maximum sentence. In extreme cases involving great bodily harm, the charge may reach Class A with a potential life sentence. Lower-level offenses, such as underage sexual activity or failure to act, carry misdemeanor or Class F felony designations.
The law does not allow ignorance of the victim’s age as a defense. Any adult engaging in sexual activity with someone 16 or 17 years old can still face charges under Wisconsin Statute §948.09.
To beat a statutory rape charge, the defense must focus on the credibility of the allegations and the context in which they were made. Grieve Law’s attorneys look for contradictions, examine the relationship history and evaluate whether accusations stem from external motivations like jealousy or retaliation. When your freedom and future are at stake, we build a clear, strategic defense to challenge the State’s case.
If you know a child who is being sexually abused, call the police immediately, or call Childhelp, the National Child Abuse Hotline, at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)
Our Ozaukee-Washington firm represents clients facing the following charges:
We provide free consultations, flexible payment plans and reasonable rates. Contact our sexual assault defense attorneys now to learn how we can get your charges reduced or dropped.
A conviction for sexual assault will remain on your record for the rest of your life. In addition to incarceration and financial penalties, you can be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of your life. Wisconsin’s Circuit Court Access Program, CCAP, makes all criminal charges, open cases and convictions available for public view. If you are convicted of a sexual assault, it will have an immense impact on the rest of your life, affecting your ability to find employment, obtaining housing along with locations you will be able to live and acquiring or maintaining a professional license.
Often sexual assault cases lack much direct evidence demonstrating that what happened was non-consensual making the cases often come down to a he said/she said scenario. Consent is frequently the biggest point of contention for the case, with the actor arguing consent was given if not explicitly through the victim’s actions without contrary indications and the victim saying anything from “I said no and tried to fight” to “I felt like I did not have a choice”. When you are faced with a criminal charge based on the word of someone else, it is imperative that you hire the right attorney to defend your case. Our award-winning Ozaukee and Washington county sexual assault attorneys will dissect your case and formulate a plan with you to ensure that you are not left with a ruined reputation and a lifetime of embarrassment from a false charge.
