Sex Crimes

Published on: May 13, 2013

Lewd Conduct in Los Angeles Charges? 4 Actions Can Torpedo Your Case…

If you’ve recently been investigated or arrested for lewd conduct in Los Angeles, you’re likely feeling terrified, overwhelmed, and isolated.

In this fraught state, odds are high that you will make one of the following 4 errors that could make your situation much more painful, legally complicated, and generally annoying. Read this article to “inoculate” yourself from these mistakes.

Mistake #1. Taking no action.

Published on: May 8, 2013

The Jodi Arias’ Saga: Los Angeles Crime Story of the Century?

by Michael Kraut

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock (and if so, lucky you), you’ve been bombarded by breaking news in the Jodi Arais trial. The verdict is in: the woman who killed her boyfriend in 2008 after a day of sex — shooting him in the face, stabbing him 27 times, and finally slitting his throat from ear to ear — was found guilty by an Arizona jury of first degree murder.

It’s a case that’s fascinated tabloid-obsessed housewives and hardened Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys alike. And Ms. Arias now faces life behind bars… and possibly even the death penalty.

A Wild Affair

Published on: May 1, 2013

Update on Disturbing Lewd Conduct Case. Idaho Woman Performed Sex Acts on 15-Year-Old Boy…

by Michael Kraut

Our Los Angeles lewd conduct blog recently reported on the tragic but compelling story of 34-year-old Courtney Sue Reschke, who was arrested back in December 2012 for performing sexual acts with a 15-year-old boy.

The Idaho woman just pled guilty to six counts of lewd conduct – she was originally charged with 11 felony lewd conduct counts as well as misdemeanor charges for offering alcohol to underage minors.

Per court documents, Reschke offered a bunch of high school students alcohol and then engaged in sexual conduct with them. In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors dropped five felony counts, but the remaining six counts each carries a life in prison sentence as a max charge.

Published on: April 21, 2013

Oh Man, That’s Not Good: Really Sad Los Angeles Lewd Conduct News

by Michael Kraut

This blog is devoted to Los Angeles lewd conduct news. But, for whatever reason, we’ve been reporting on multiple stories out of Idaho, of all places.

The most recent (and extremely sad/depressing) case comes out of Idaho Falls, where a 57-year-old man, Viggo Robert Madsen, recently got arrested on charges two counts of lascivious and lewd conduct.

Investigators say that, over the past seven months, Madsen engaged in relationships with two 14-year-old girls.

Published on: April 8, 2013

Disturbing Los Angeles Lewd Conduct News: Did CA Doctor Really Try to Meet Up with a 13 Year Old for Sex?

by Michael Kraut

Los Angeles sex crime news can be extremely disconcerting, whether you’re a parent of young children, a concerned citizen, or even a “fellow” Los Angeles lewd conduct defendant.

As we’ve emphasized before on this blog, the spectrum of sex crime defendants is vast. Just because a police officer arrested you at a bathroom for having consensual sexual relations doesn’t mean you’re anywhere “at the same level” as some other sex offenders.

In that context, let’s consider the sad story of 53-year-old hand surgeon, Dr. Raymond Severt, a doctor from Santa Rosa who faces felony charges for texting a local girl sexually explicit messages. According to allegations, he text messaged a 13-year-old girl from nearby Novato and arranged a meeting with her. To his surprise, he wound up meeting up with local police instead, who arrested him and charged him with attempted lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14. He also faces a battery of misdemeanors, including attempt to contact a minor with the intent of committing a sexual offense and attempting to annoy or molest a child under age 18.

Published on: March 18, 2013

Not a Good Situation: 35-year-old Mom Hit with Nearly a Dozen Lewd Conduct Charges and Could Face Life Behind Bars

by Michael Kraut

The trickiest things about facing a Los Angeles lewd conduct charge (or sex crime charge anywhere) is breaking the news to friends and family.

A criminal charge is always embarrassing and unpleasant to discuss. But some charges are worse than others. Consider, for instance, the very serious charges facing 35-year-old Courtney Reschke. She stands accused of making illegal sexual contact with eight different teenage boys. All told, she faces 20 criminal counts, including 11 lewd conduct charges. In the state of Idaho, a lewd conduct charge with a minor can be punished by a lifetime behind bars.

Here’s the sordid story, courtesy a local Idaho TV station, KBOI.

Published on: March 14, 2013

Time is Running Out to Build Your Los Angeles Lewd Conduct Defense

by Michael Kraut

Not to alarm you, but every second that ticks by, your Los Angeles lewd conduct defense gets harder and harder.

Whether police arrested you for fornicating in a bathroom on a Santa Monica beach, or you have been investigated for internet-related Los Angeles sex crime charges, time is against you. This ticking clock ticks down in a non-linear fashion, too. That’s an important and poorly appreciated point.

Let’s explore this further — you need to understand this.

Published on: March 11, 2013

Yuck. Were Your Los Angeles Sex Crime Charges as Disturbing as This Teacher’s?

by Michael Kraut

Whether you were arrested in a Manhattan Beach bathroom on lewd conduct charges or charged with some other sex crime in Los Angeles, you nevertheless still think of yourself as a pretty decent guy (or girl) who made a misjudgment.

You almost certainly resent being categorized among other more serious sex offenders. To that end, you want to do everything possible, legally speaking, to prevent the “sex offender” label from following you around forever, a la the scarlet letter A on Hester Prinne’s chest.

That drive makes sense. After all, consider this Southern California lewd conduct case (that’s equal parts sad and disturbing) as an object lesson.

Published on: February 25, 2013

No More Los Angeles Lewd Conduct Charges for Terminator III Star, Nick Stahl

by Michael Kraut

This is a follow up on our recent post regarding Terminator III actor Nick Stahl’s Los Angeles lewd conduct case.

If you recall from our report several months ago, the young actor got arrested after a police officer saw him committing a “lewd act” at a private booth in an adult store in Hollywood. The same squad that busted Stahl for Hollywood lewd conduct also nabbed comedian Fred Willard. Based on lack of sufficient evidence, prosecutors are dropping the charges against Stahl, per reports from TMZ.com.

The actor has been embroiled in troubles over the past year or so. After going through rehab, Stahl went missing multiple times.

Published on: February 4, 2013

Your Los Angeles Sex Crime Case Is Complex. But Everyone’s Already Painted You as the “Bad Guy” (Or “Bad Girl”)

by Michael Kraut

Los Angeles sex crime defendants often find themselves isolated, even from close family and friends, because of the salacious nature of the allegations.

Whether you stand accused of sending an untoward, sexually-provocative email to a high school student; or whether the police arrested you for soliciting an undercover officer at a bathroom, you’re genuinely scared for your future. Plus, you’re facing a real empathy deficit in your life right now.

It’s not that people close to you have abandoned you, necessarily. But sex crimes in Los Angeles (or anywhere) really touch a nerve with many people, and for good reason.