Our Brea sex crimes criminal defense lawyers were interested to read about a police shooting of a man suspected of child molestation. As the Orange County Register reported May 25, officers from the Anaheim and Brea police departments shot at Daniel Roy Smith after he tried to run away from them. The officers were serving an arrest warrant for Smith, who is accused of molesting two girls under the age of 14 in Orange County. Smith was at an apartment complex May 20 when he fled the officers, who chased him and shot him in front of a school in Laguna Niguel. After time in a hospital, Smith is being jailed in Santa Ana in lieu of $1 million bail.
Smith is charged with four felony counts stemming from alleged molestations in Orange County in 2001 and earlier this year. The victims were girls under 14 who he knew, officers said; he is not a random predator. However, this is not the first time Smith has been accused of inappropriate behavior with girls under 14. In fact, he was acquitted last year of similar charges in Los Angeles County, which stemmed from a 2008 incident. At that time, Smith was a traveling astronomy teacher who gave talks at schools. During a visit to a school in San Gabriel, Smith allegedly touched four girls under the age of 14 inappropriately. He was tried on three counts related to those incidents in 2009 and found not guilty by a jury. Three other charges were dismissed.
We know that some readers will immediately conclude that the Los Angeles jury made a mistake, since Smith was charged again. In fact, they might be right. But because we are Costa Mesa sex crimes criminal defense attorneys, we also believe it's possible that the jury did the right thing by acquitting Smith. Child molestation is a very serious charge, carrying three to eight years in prison for each act. That's in addition to a severe social stigma and lifelong obligation to register as a sex offender. Knowing this, many jurors could be careful to only convict if they believe the charge has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. In Smith's case, the jury apparently didn't feel that confidence. The serious consequences of a child molestation conviction may also be why Smith felt the need to flee the arrest, giving the officers an excuse to open fire.
At Howard Law, P.C. PC, we strongly urge clients facing a sex crimes arrest to take a different approach. Evading arrest may be tempting, but as Smith learned, it can also land you in the hospital and the newspaper. When we take on a sex crimes case early enough, our Dana Point sex crimes defense attorneys can arrange for clients to turn themselves in. Not only does this avoid the public embarrassment of an arrest, but it allows us to sit by your side, protecting your rights, as law enforcement interrogates you. In sex-related criminal cases, there are generally multiple avenues of defense open because many sex crimes pit one person's word against another's. In addition to collecting the physical evidence to prove our clients' innocence, we can use psychological evidence and conflicting accounts to demonstrate when the accuser is fabricating or exaggerating claims.
If you're charged with a sex-related crime in California, you need the help of an experienced attorney right away. To set up a free consultation, call us toll-free at 1-800-872-5925 or send us a message through the Internet.
