AKRON OHIO

Rape Defense Attorney

Being accused of rape can be scary.

Rape and other sex crimes are some of the most serious offenses in criminal law. People found guilty of rape can face years in jail, registration in the sex offender registry, and serious ramifications in their personal lives. It can be hard to see how your life can get back on track.

That’s why it’s important to have someone on your side. At Hiltner Trial Lawyers, it’s our job to tell your side of the story.

Call 330-475-3164 for a free consultation

“Max Hiltner is an extremely professional defense attorney, and a great person who believes that people shouldn’t be defined by one mistake. I’ll definitely recommend Mr. Hiltner to anyone looking for a trial attorney.”

- Angel A.

Rape Cases in Akron Ohio

Rape and sexual assault law are different depending on what state you’re in.

In Ohio, rape is defined as follows:

Ohio law has a fairly typical definition of rape:

“any form of unwanted sexual contact obtained without consent and/or obtained through the use of force, threat of force, intimidation, or coercion.”

However, the definition doesn’t stop there. Ohioans can face rape charges if any of the following are true:

“engaged in sexual conduct with another person who is not their spouse, or is their spouse but lives separately, and:

They substantially impaired that person’s judgment or control in order to prevent resistance, by giving that person drugs, controlled substances or some other intoxicant by force, threat of force or deception;
The other person is less than 13 years old; or
The alleged offender knew or had reasonable cause to believe the other person’s ability to resist or consent was impaired by a mental or physical condition, or advanced age.”

In summary, there are a few circumstances that can lead to a rape charge, even outside of brute force or threats: if the victim was drugged, if the victim was under 13, or if the accused knew that the victim was unable to consent for any reason.

Because rape is usually charged as a first degree felony, the accused can face some serious jail time. But there are also some elements that can make the consequences even worse:

If the victim was drugged – mandatory sentence
If force or coercion was used – life imprisonment

Why Choose Hiltner Trial Lawyers

At Hiltner Trial Lawyers, our defense attorneys have a reputation for passionate defense. We have years of experience fighting for our clients in Akron, Ohio courtrooms, and hundreds of success stories.

In short, we are in the business of keeping good people out of prison.

Here are some cases we’ve tried in recent years:

A 40-year-old Delaware County, Ohio man was charged with assaulting, raping, and kidnapping his wife in 2005. Max Hiltner was brought in to help try the case by local counsel. This case was originally dismissed, only to be reopened 11 years later in 2016. These charges rested on the word of the alleged victim and local police officers. If convicted, Hiltner’s client could have faced over 30 years in prison. During the four-day trial, Hiltner presented evidence of witness dishonesty and faulty investigation and advocated passionately for his client. This ultimately led the jury to find not guilty verdicts on all felony charges. Out of the 30 years in prison the client was facing, he received zero.

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