In sex cases what is the difference between civil and criminal court?
- What is the Difference between Civil and Criminal Cases?
- Are sex offenses different?
- What are the Statute of Limitations?
- Are you required to talk to police?
- What are your legal options?
- Is a lawyer necessary?
- Should I cooperate or give a statement?
Sex offenses can involve several different aspects of the judicial system in North Carolina. If you have questions, talk to an experienced attorney immediately – Bill Powers
Read More: Can I Be Held In Jail Awaiting Charges?
Modified Transcript of “Criminal vs Civil Case” for the Hearing Impaired
Hi I’m Bill Powers I’m an attorney in North Carolina and I help people with different criminal type of matters DWI cases speeding tickets things like that.
And we answer questions for people based on postings on public forums online forums where people asking general questions.
And the purpose of this is to try to give you an explanation of how the system works and hopefully encourage you to possibly seek out legal counsel as it’s often times more complicated than you may realize.
Now this case is a good one and it asks “Do I have to get involved in a case from 20 years ago and do I have a case for myself for pain and suffering?”
Well maybe a civil case maybe a criminal case. I suspect it’s a criminal case where someone feels their pain and suffering enough are worried about the case for 20 years.
But let’s see.
Yesterday I was contacted by Detective. Always working on a very serious charge involving child molestation that occurred 20 years ago. And this person seemed to be. A victim.
And this person’s working through fair therapy do they have to cooperate with the police. And is there any way to deal with the pain and struggles that have caused me in my entire life. OK.
Well isn’t it criminal cases in a civil case.
The answer is yes it’s both. And in our firm we do help people with both types of charges civil and criminal involving obviously prosecution of a criminal matter of the potential of jail and probation of things civil.
When lawyers refer to civil court or normally or for into suing somebody for damages for it sometimes it’s lost wages sometimes it’s the permanent injuries or disfigurements and there are times where it’s there’s pain and suffering.
And these particular type of cases and we don’t see them as much as we used to anymore.
Not that doesn’t happen. But they shouldn’t be prosecuted much more quickly now if that makes sense.
First when it comes to this type of felony and indeed any type of felony in North Carolina there is no statute of limitations there is no statute will pose for bringing the criminal charges.
It doesn’t matter if it happened two years ago 20 years ago 50 years ago. And that’s a serious felony. Normally it would involve some very high level of felonies such as indecent liberties of a minor.
There could be exploitation of a minor distribution of pornographic material things of that nature in seriousness where people go to jail for prison really for a long long long period of time. Secondly do you have to cooperate with the police investigation?
Well if you’re a defendant. No. If you’re the person accused of it probably the smart thing to do after you talk to a detective.
And let me back up there. Don’t talk to the detective if a detective calls immediately say “I’m not trying to be rude. I’m not trying to be disrespectful.”
I’d like to hang up the phone right now.
Talk to an attorney first. OK but let’s say there was just an introductory conversation hang up that was done the next day do is call a lawyer and say that listen I just got a call from a detective what am I supposed to do I have to cooperate investigation. If you’re subject to investigation the answer is No.
If you are a potential victim you may want to you may or may not want to. We have seen these cases over the years.
In fact last year when I was the president of North Korea advocates for justice we had a special program here in Charlotte and we brought in the speakers from the Boston area it actually did a pretty famous movie on this issue.
And I actually got to meet one of the main people and the subject of the movie and he did not want to.
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