Annapolis Rape: Man Arrested for 2000 Incident
On May 16, 2009, the Annapolis newspaper, The Capital, published an article about an Annapolis man arrested for his involvement in a rape that occurred on August 26, 2000, in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Annapolis. The State’s Attorney’s Office said that evidence from DNA testing led to the arrest of a 26-year-old man from Annapolis. As law enforcement officials staked out the man’s place of employment to take him into custody, he apparently turned himself in at police headquarters. Charges against him include first-degree rape, first-degree sex offense, first-degree sexual assault, kidnapping, armed robbery, use of a handgun in a crime of violence and related charges not outlined in the article.
If a jury convicts him on all charges, the rape and sex offense convictions could result in life sentences, and the other charges could result in imprisonment for 20 to 30 years each. When the alleged crimes were committed, the accused was under 18 years old and a Maryland sex crime lawyer could appeal to have the case heard in juvenile court. However, under Maryland law, a defendant is automatically charged as an adult if they are older than 16 when the crime allegedly occurred and when they are charged with first-degree rape.
The Maryland sex crime charges allege that the accused approached the victim, who was then 39 years old, as she got out of her car. He allegedly first threatened her with a handgun and robbed around $30. According to local police officials, he then ordered the woman to go to the rear of a nearby home, ordered her to remove her clothes, and then raped her. After the man fled the scene, the woman went to her home, told a family member about the attack and called the police.
The chief investigator in the State’s Attorney’s office said that the DNA evidence connected with the Maryland sexual assault was resubmitted to Maryland State police officials in November 2007 as that agency received grant money to hire a private company to help clear the huge backlog in DNA evidence analysis.
Prior to January 1, 2009, DNA was routinely collected from convicted felons. But when 2009 began, Maryland lawmakers enacted a tougher law that allows genetic materials to be collected from any defendant charged with violent crimes or attempted violent crimes. Court records indicate that the man accused in this case had a prior criminal record that included two minor drug possession charges in 2002 and 2003 and a charge of violating a 2007 protective order. However, there is no indication of a criminal offense that would have led to the collection of his DNA prior to the beginning of this year.
The experienced Maryland sex crimes lawyers at the Maryland criminal defense law firm of Meng & Alpert LLC have a proven track record of helping clients charged with rape, sexual assault and other sex crimes. After a free consultation, their skilled Maryland sex crime defense attorneys can launch an immediate investigation into the charges, protect their clients’ rights, and work hard to have the sex crime charges dismissed or reduced to lesser charges. If you or someone you care for has been charged with a sex crime in Maryland, call 866-444-6363 to speak with one of the Maryland criminal defense lawyers at Meng & Alpert LLC today.
