Memphis residents may find it interesting to learn that the city of Memphis has thousands of rape kits that have not yet been tested. A recent lawsuit against the city of Memphis alleges that there are more than 12,000 kits which have not undergone testing.
The class action lawsuit was brought about by a woman who was raped in 2001 and whose kit remains untested. Her rapist was believed to have committed multiple rapes after assaulting her. The lawsuit says the victim’s civil rights were violated because of the backlog of untested kits. The Memphis Police Director says that he welcomes any intervention that helps prevent this problem in the future.
For those accused of rape in Memphis, a conviction on the charge can bring severe penalties. Even false accusations can lead to the accused’s personal and professional reputation being ruined. Police aggressively investigate rape accusations and pursue charges to the fullest extent of the law. A defendant accused of rape or other sex crimes may find that a legal professional skilled in criminal law can help him or her tell their side of the story. The criminal attorney can discretely lead the investigation and include polygraph experts and forensic experts to determine what evidence is missing or misread.
Memphis residents who are accused of sexual misconduct need to launch an aggressive defense on their behalf in order to avoid lengthy prison sentences, ruined reputations or being listed on the sex offender notification list. Even though Memphis may have thousands of rape kits untested, the prosecution will still aggressively pursue charges against those accused, especially after the city cracks down on lack of kit testing. A defendant only has one opportunity to hear the words not guilty. Making sure their side is being heard is critical in these emotionally-charged situations.
Source: WMCTV, “Rape kit lawsuit filed against city of Memphis,” Dec. 20, 2013
