Lansing, MI Criminal Sexual Conduct Lawyers

When the word “guilty” is only one verdict away, you need a team of Lansing, MI criminal sexual conduct lawyers who understand precisely how prosecutors think and how juries react to allegations of sexual assault. At Blank Law, PC, our entire practice is built around winning Criminal Sexual Conduct (CSC) cases across Michigan, and Lansing is no exception. Lead attorneys Nicole Blank Becker and Christopher Coyle each spent decades as prosecutors and ultimately served as Chiefs of their counties’ Sex Crimes Units before bringing that inside knowledge to our clients’ side of the courtroom. Their combined résumé, thousands of felony cases reviewed, investigated, and tried, provides them with tactical insights that no textbook can teach.

Former Prosecutors, Relentless Defenders

Nicole’s experience leading Macomb County’s Sexual Assault Unit and Chris’s tenure as Deputy Chief of the Wayne County Special Victims Unit mean we have personally trained the very assistant prosecutors who may now be assigned to your Lansing case. Our Michigan criminal sexual conduct team knows which charging theories the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office favors, how detectives from Lansing Police or Michigan State University PD sometimes cut corners, and what arguments resonate, or fall flat, in front of 54A, 54B, 55th District, or 30th Circuit Court judges. 

How Michigan Defines Criminal Sexual Conduct

Michigan consolidates most sex-crime allegations under four “degrees” of CSC:

• First Degree CSC (MCL 750.520b) – penetration plus an aggravating factor (child under 13, weapon, injury, or multiple actors). Punishable by up to life in prison, with a mandatory 25-year minimum when the complainant is under 13.
• Second Degree CSC (MCL 750.520c) – sexual contact (no penetration) with similar aggravators; 15-year maximum.
• Third Degree CSC (MCL 750.520d) – penetration without the additional aggravators (statutory rape, intoxicated complainant, or force/coercion); 15-year maximum.
• Fourth Degree CSC (MCL 750.520e) – non-aggravated sexual contact; a “high-court misdemeanor” carrying up to 2 years. 

In Michigan, prosecutors do not need DNA or eyewitness evidence to proceed. The state statute explicitly allows for conviction on nothing more than the accuser’s sworn testimony if jurors believe it. This reality makes cross-examination skills, early-stage investigation, and strategic motion practice critical.

Lansing’s Court Pipeline

• 54A District Court – misdemeanors and felony arraignments for conduct alleged inside the City of Lansing
• 54B District Court – East Lansing cases, including incidents on the MSU campus
• 55th District Court – all other Ingham County municipalities
• 30th Circuit Court – where every felony CSC case heads for pre-trial, motion hearings, and trial once a district judge finds probable cause

Knowing each judge’s preferences for bond conditions, discovery deadlines, and evidentiary rulings lets us tailor your defense from day one. 

Penalties and Collateral Damage

Department of Corrections data show that the majority of Lansing-area CSC convictions result in prison sentences, even at the third- and fourth-degree levels. Yet prison is only the start:

• Mandatory Sex Offender Registration (SORA) – 15 years to life of quarterly check-ins, online listing, and residence/job restrictions
• Lifetime GPS tether for many first- and second-degree convictions
• Loss of professional licenses, financial aid, and firearms rights
• Immigration consequences for non-citizens

Our primary mission is to prevent a conviction from occurring, either by outright dismissal, reduction to a non-registerable offense, or acquittal at trial.

Early Intervention: Why You Should Call Us Before Charges Are Filed

Because Nicole and Chris once taught detectives how to handle these types of crimes, they know “pre-charge” leverage points:

• Intervening in search warrant requests to narrow or quash overbroad digital seizures
• Arranging a confidential, defense-directed polygraph, often persuasive evidence for a no-charge decision
• Presenting exculpatory texts, medical records, or electronic data during the prosecutor’s warrant-review conference

Many clients have walked out of Ingham County without a single count filed because our Lansing, MI, criminal sexual conduct lawyers controlled the narrative early.

Strategic Defense Tools

1. Digital Forensics – extracting GPS metadata, deleted messages, or time-stamped social-media activity that contradicts the timeline alleged.
2. Medical and SANE Record Analysis – exposing when an exam shows “no injury,” undermining claims of forcible penetration.
3. MRE 404(b) & Rape-Shield Litigation – preventing the prosecutor from introducing prejudicial “other-acts” evidence, while fighting to admit favorable prior conduct of the complainant.
4. Jury Preparation – We strategically write voir dire questions that identify hidden biases.

Protecting Lansing’s Students and Professionals

The presence of Michigan State University, Lansing Community College, and multiple state government offices means many CSC investigations involve:

• Title IX parallel proceedings that can derail a student’s education, even if criminal charges never stick
• Licensed professionals (teachers, nurses, state employees) who face immediate suspension, often unpaid, upon arrest

We coordinate with administrative law specialists to ensure clients remain enrolled or employed while their criminal case is pending.

The Blank Law, PC Courtroom Advantage

At Blank Law, PC, our cross-examination techniques were honed leading the very sex-crimes units that now try to convict our clients. We recognize suggestive police interview tactics, expose memory contamination, and highlight how a sexual-assault nurse exam can assist in your defense. When a jury trial is unavoidable, our record of not-guilty verdicts and dismissals speaks for itself.

But victory is not always decided at trial. Sometimes it rests on a single motion to suppress a coerced statement or a savvy negotiation that converts a life-branded felony into a non-registerable misdemeanor. Because our criminal sexual conduct lawyers understand every rung of Lansing’s criminal-procedure ladder, we know where to apply pressure.

Compassionate Counsel in a Crisis

Being accused of a sex crime is isolating. Friends back away, employers panic, and every Google search produces worst-case scenarios. We answer calls 24/7, arrange meetings often, and guide families through bond conditions and no-contact orders. Our Lansing, MI criminal sexual conduct lawyers treat every client with dignity, believing that a single allegation must never define an entire life.

Take Action Today

Suppose you or a loved one is under investigation or has already been charged with Criminal Sexual Conduct in Lansing or anywhere in Ingham County. In that case, time is your most valuable asset. Evidence degrades, memories fade, and the prosecution’s case may grow larger with every hour you wait.

Call Blank Law, PC at (248) 515-6583 for a complimentary and confidential consultation, or complete our online form. Nicole Blank Becker, Christopher Coyle, and our dedicated team will move immediately to protect your reputation, your freedom, and your future.

Because when everything is on the line, nothing replaces experience, and no one matches the experience of former sex-crimes prosecutors who now fight for the accused.