Michigan Indecent Exposure Lawyer

Michigan Indecent Exposure Attorney

Indecent exposure and aggravated indecent exposure are serious crimes in Michigan, regardless of the intent behind the act. If you’re facing one of these charges, it’s critical to stay calm and begin gathering information as quickly as possible to build your defense. The good news is that you don’t have to do it on your own.

Our Michigan indecent exposure lawyers at Jeffrey Randa and Associates are ready to evaluate your case and develop a strategy for your defense. With over three decades of experience specifically handling indecent exposure and other sex crime charges, our Michigan criminal defense attorneys understand the nuances of what it takes to formulate a strategy for your case that will protect you, your record, and your future.

Indecent Exposure in Michigan

Indecent exposure (IE) is a type of sex crime that involves exposing one’s genitals or private parts in a place where someone could reasonably see them, such as a public location, like a park, or a parking lot. It’s important to note that you don’t necessarily have to be in a public place to be charged with indecent exposure.

The offense doesn’t require that you be in a public location; you can be inside your own home. The only stipulation is that another person has to see or reasonably could see your “private parts.” In other words, you can be charged with indecent exposure even if no one sees you, as long as you are in a place where someone reasonably could have seen you.

It is, or course, possible to be imprisoned for an indecent exposure (IE) offense, including simple (regular) indecent exposure, aggravated indecent exposure, or indecent exposure by a sexually delinquent person. Our first priority, in every case, is to avoid that. Our next priority, of course, is to keep the client’s record clean.

Indecent exposure charges can also be brought for many other behaviors, both accidental and intentional. Some of the other common indecent exposure situations that our team at Jeffrey Randa and Associates has defended include:

• Engaging in sex in public
• Flashing
• Public masturbation
• Public nudity
• Public urination

Regardless of the circumstances surrounding your case, these charges can have a huge and lasting impact on your life.

Categories of Indecent Exposure in Michigan

Indecent exposure is a broad crime category that can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the situation. Under Michigan law, these types of crimes can typically be categorized under one of the following types of indecent exposure:

• Simple indecent exposure. This is the least severe type of indecent exposure charge you can get. It simply involves exposing one’s private parts to another person or exposing oneself in a place where someone could see them.
• Aggravated indecent exposure. This type of charge takes indecent exposure to the next level because it involves the person fondling themselves in some way.
• Indecent exposure involving a sexually delinquent person. Although charged far less often, this enhanced offense involves a person whose behavior is sexually delinquent because of things like compulsive and repetitive exposure, sexual aggression against minors, or the use of force to attempt sexual relations with another person.

Gross indecency is another related charge that pertains to two or more people engaging in sexual acts in public. If you’re facing any of these charges, let a Michigan indecent exposure lawyer from Jeffrey Randa and Associates evaluate your case and build a strong defense on your behalf.

We have experience handling all types of indecent exposure cases in the Greater-Detroit area of Michigan. Our ultimate goal is to have your case dropped when possible. If that’s not possible, we know exactly what to do to maximize the chance of reducing your charges and making sure you keep a clean record.

This way, you can live a normal life and put this in the past. Always remember, success in any criminal case is best measured by what does NOT happen to you.

The Big Concern

Any examination of indecent exposure cases is incomplete unless it looks at the “big concern” about them. It is a proven fact that most sexual predators start out committing much smaller sexual offenses. This is similar to how many serial killers start out by torturing and killing small animals.

The underlying concern in an indecent exposure case is whether the behavior is an out of character incident of bad judgment, or a symptom of something more serious.

To use another analogy, it is a given that every repeat offense drunk driver started out with one DUI. The question in those first cases is whether the person was at risk to become a repeat offender, or was the whole thing a “one-off.”

Fortunately, in both IE and DUI cases, most people learn their lesson and prove to be nothing more than “one and done.”

This reality, however, makes it critical for us to demonstrate to the court that our client is NOT a risk to develop into either a repeat indecent exposure offender or any kind of sexual predator. Doing that to positively influence the outcome of the case requires a lot more than merely saying so. Fortunately, our team knows exactly how to accomplish that.

This Doesn’t Make You a Pervert

It is undeniable that there is a certain “yuck” factor to indecent exposure cases. We have to start there, because acknowledging that is a first step to reassuring the court and the prosecutor that our client deserves a break. That said, the typical indecent exposure client is not any kind of “yucky,” sick or weird person.

After having handled countless cases, my team and I have seen, time and time again, that the vast majority of IE offenders are gainfully employed and often have either no prior criminal record, or a very minor one, at most. They are usually decent, hardworking and otherwise law-abiding people.

To be sure, some guys get sexually frustrated and act without thinking things through. This plays out in all kinds of ways, but almost always, NOT with the intention to hurt someone else.

Instead of being any kind of “pervert,” most men who get arrested for an indecent exposure offense simply chose the wrong way to let off some steam. Some people punch the wall (or, worse yet, another person). Others go out and get drunk.

Unfortunately, there are a few who, for whatever reason, wind up doing something that gets them arrested and facing an indecent exposure offense. These are the people who need to be protected from having their lives ruined. Avoiding jail and keeping a clean record are always the first priorities in these cases.

FAQs

How Do I Beat an Indecent Exposure Charge in Michigan?

It is possible to have indecent exposure charges dropped in Michigan and my team and I do it quite regularly. You can improve your chances by securing legal counsel from a trusted Michigan indecent exposure lawyer because they can use their skills and resources to strengthen your defense. Some common defenses against indecent exposure include lack of intent, mistaken identity, or proving that the exposure wasn’t seen, or likely to be seen.

Is Indecent Exposure Considered a Misdemeanor or Felony in Michigan?

Indecent exposure can either charged as a misdemeanor or a felony in Michigan. Simple indecent exposure is a misdemeanor, while aggravated indecent exposure is a felony offense. Indecent exposure by a sexually delinquent person is also a felony, punishable by up to life in prison. Gross indecency is a related crime that can also be charged as a felony.

Can I Be Charged With Indecent Exposure in My Own Home in Michigan?

It is possible to be charged with indecent exposure while inside your own house under certain circumstances in Michigan. For example, under Michigan law, you’re unable to answer the door when your private areas are exposed.

Moreover, you can’t intentionally expose yourself while inside your own home either. Whether or not the crime happens in a public or private place doesn’t really matter; what matters is that a person’s private areas were exposed to another person.

What Escalates Charges to Aggravated Indecent Exposure in Michigan?

Aggravated indecent exposure carries more severe penalties than simple indecent exposure. While indecent exposure refers to someone exposing or revealing their private parts to another person, aggravated indecent exposure involves fondling the private parts in the presence of others. Aggravated indecent exposure is treated as a felony offense.

Speak With a Michigan Indecent Exposure Lawyer About Your Case Today

If you’re facing indecent exposure charges anywhere in the Metro-Detroit area (meaning anywhere in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb or one of the surrounding counties), reach out to the Michigan criminal defense attorneys at Jeffrey Randa and Associates. Our team has over three decades of experience defending our clients in all types of criminal cases, and we’re ready to hear more about your situation.

If you’re ready to discuss your case in more detail with a knowledgeable Michigan indecent exposure lawyer, reach out to our team at Jeffrey Randa and Associates for a free  and confidential consultation. We can evaluate your case and get to work right away to defend you so you can secure the best outcome.