Ann Arbor Criminal Sexual Conduct Lawyers

Being accused of criminal sexual conduct (CSC) places your freedom, reputation, and entire future on the line. A single allegation can trigger police investigations, university disciplinary hearings (i.e., Title IV proceedings), and intense media scrutiny. Our Ann Arbor Criminal Sexual Conduct Lawyers devote our complete resources to protecting Washtenaw County residents, University of Michigan students, teachers, visitors, and professionals whose lives have been upended by CSC claims. Every case is handled with urgency, discretion, and a trial-ready mindset, guided by decades of experience from our focused and seasoned team of criminal sexual conduct attorneys.

The Advantage of Former Chiefs of the Sex Crimes Unit

Founding attorney Nicole Blank Becker led the Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit in Macomb County before dedicating her practice exclusively to criminal defense. Her years inside the prosecutor’s office give her an unrivaled grasp of how charging decisions are made, how evidence is evaluated, and where a case is most vulnerable to challenge.

Christopher Coyle is an attorney at Blank Law, PC who spent twenty-eight years at the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, ultimately serving as Deputy Chief of the elite Special Victims Unit. His team supervised hundreds of felony sex-offense prosecutions and coordinated multi-agency investigations across Michigan. 

Together, our leadership brings a 360-degree perspective, honed in the trenches as chiefs, now deployed to dismantle the very strategies they once taught prosecutors to use.

Why Ann Arbor CSC Charges Require Specialized Defense

Washtenaw County prosecutors and campus public safety departments treat sexual-assault allegations with zero tolerance. Investigations often involve:

• University of Michigan Police, who forward reports to the Washtenaw County Prosecutor within days
• Pre-text phone calls are recorded without warning
• Title IX proceedings are running parallel to the criminal case
• DNA “touch” testing, even when no bodily fluid is recovered
• Aggressive bond conditions, including GPS tethers, are imposed

Early intervention can mean the difference between a quiet dismissal and a public criminal filing. Our Ann Arbor criminal sexual conduct lawyers prefer to meet clients before charges are authorized, gather all the evidence, and present counter-narratives to detectives or assistant prosecutors to stop a warrant in its tracks.

Understanding Michigan Criminal Sexual Conduct Laws

Michigan divides CSC into four degrees under MCL 750.520 b–e. Although each charge is unique, every accusation hinges on two core questions: (1) sexual penetration versus contact, and (2) aggravating factors such as force, age, relationship, injury, or incapacity.

• First Degree CSC (MCL 750.520b) involves penetration plus aggravators (e.g., complainant under 13, alleged force causing injury, multiple actors). It carries up to life in prison and mandatory electronic monitoring on parole.
• Second Degree CSC (MCL 750.520c) mirrors first degree but involves sexual contact rather than penetration. The maximum penalty is 15 years.
• Third Degree CSC (MCL 750.520d) covers penetration with lesser aggravators, including age differentials or alleged coercion. A conviction also exposes clients to 15 years.
• Fourth Degree CSC (MCL 750.520e) is a high-court misdemeanor (still treated like a felony for many purposes) punishable by up to two years’ incarceration and a $500 fine.

Each degree can trigger sex-offender registration for 15 years, 25 years, or life, depending on statutory tiering. A negotiated reduction from first or third degree to fourth degree can shave decades off potential incarceration and eliminate lifetime listing.

Collateral Consequences That Outlast Prison Sentences

Beyond imprisonment, a CSC conviction can lead to:

• Mandatory registration on Michigan’s Sex Offender Registry (SORA) with quarterly check-ins and residency-zone restrictions
• Loss of professional licenses and ineligibility for many careers (medicine, education, government contracts)
• Revocation of student status or financial aid at University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, or Washtenaw Community College
• Custody hurdles in future family-court disputes where a prior sex-crime conviction can create presumptions of unfitness
• Immigration removal proceedings for non-citizens under federal aggravated-felony definitions

Our defense strategy always includes a thorough mitigation plan aimed at minimizing or eliminating these life-altering secondary penalties.

Navigating the Washtenaw County Court System

CSC felonies originating in Ann Arbor begin with a sworn complaint in the 15th District Court (Justice Center on East Huron Street) for arraignment and probable-cause conference. Unless resolved, the file is bound over to the 22nd Circuit Court at the Washtenaw County Trial Court complex on Main Street for motion practice, plea negotiations, and, if necessary, jury trial before a circuit-court judge. Our team of criminal sexual conduct attorneys is familiar with local practice preferences, evidentiary tendencies, and judicial scheduling quirks in Ann Arbor, enabling us to capitalize on every procedural advantage.

University Discipline and Criminal Exposure

Many Ann Arbor allegations arise from dorm rooms, fraternity parties, and downtown nightlife. A single complaint can launch:

• Title IX investigations that apply campus definitions of consent, which differ from Michigan criminal statutes
• Interim suspensions freezing enrollment
• No-contact directives banning the accused from classes or buildings

We coordinate criminal court defense with tailored representation in university hearings to safeguard academic status while protecting Fifth Amendment rights.

Case-Building Begins the Moment You Call

Our in-house investigative team—comprising retired SVU detectives, digital forensics examiners, and trauma-informed interviewers—moves quickly to collect surveillance footage, Lyft data, geolocation metadata, and text message threads that often vanish within days. In appropriate cases, we arrange private polygraph examinations and summarize favorable results to prosecutors, a tactic that has persuaded Washtenaw County to shelve weak cases before charges issue.

Robust Defenses to Criminal Sexual Conduct Allegations

Every client’s narrative is different, but effective CSC defenses frequently revolve around:

• Consent established by contemporaneous texts, social-media messages, or eyewitness testimony
• Mistaken identity or false accusation, often revealed through inconsistent statements or ulterior motives (e.g., relationship jealousy, child-custody leverage)
• Scientific challenges, including secondary DNA transfer, degraded samples, and laboratory error
• Constitutional violations such as unlawful searches of cell phones without proper warrants
• Delayed reporting that undercuts witness credibility and compromises evidence integrity

Our Ann Arbor criminal sexual conduct lawyers’ courtroom presentations combine cutting-edge expert testimony with meticulous cross-examination to cast doubt on every element the state must prove.

Real-World Results in High-Stakes Cases

Blank Law, PC has secured dismissals, not-guilty verdicts, and reduced pleas in cases involving:

• False rape allegations at off-campus fraternity houses
• Teacher-student relationships alleged under MCL 750.520b(1)(k)
• Date-rape drug accusations supported by contested messages via social media
• Internet sting operations targeting chats with undercover officers

Success is never guaranteed, but our record demonstrates how strategic legal craftsmanship can change lives.

What to Do If Police or CPS Contact You

1. Do not make a statement; politely decline interviews until counsel is present.
2. Preserve evidence by saving messages, photographs, travel receipts, and witness contact information.
3. Contact Blank Law, PC immediately; early counsel often prevents catastrophic missteps that cannot be undone.

Speak with an Ann Arbor CSC Defense Lawyer Today

Your initial consultation is free, confidential, and conducted directly with a senior attorney, never a junior intake clerk. We are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year, because crises do not follow business hours.

When everything is at stake, trust the team that wrote the prosecution’s playbook and now uses that knowledge to defend the accused. Call Blank Law, PC at (248) 515-6583 or complete our secure online form here to schedule your meeting. The sooner we begin, the better positioned you are to reclaim your future.