As a criminal defense lawyer, I hear no shortage of complaints from people about their criminal defense lawyers. (That’ll teach you not to come directly to me, huh?) I hear the same complaints and, frankly, terrible “jokes” from people I know and love, too. Comes with the territory.
But if you think your lawyer is bad, just remember – at least he didn’t go to prison for attempting to rape a kid.
ABC Action News reported last February 2019 on 14-year-old girl who had been sexually assaulted by Matthew Buck, a 21-year-old lacrosse coach. There was a tremendous amount of he said/she said – as in, she said he raped her, and he said it was consensual – but the fact remains that in ANY scenario (outside of marriage) a 14-year-old and a 21-year-old having sex is illegal.
Do you say “married”?
Yeah, I did. Some states still allow for child brides – including Maryland, where you can get hitched at 15 under certain circumstances. It’s not… great. (For the record, the minimum age in Colorado is 16, so either way, the pairing would be illegal.)
Back to the story
So Matthew Buck pleads guilty to “attempted sex assault on a child by a person in a position of trust.” Then, he goes back to prison for a while for violating probation. Finally, he gets out and enrolls in law school to become – and I am NOT making this up – a criminal defense lawyer, and sets up shop in Denver. (Guess the “character and fitness standards” in Colorado are a little lower than they should be.)
But he was still a registered sex offender. It was only when he filed a motion to de-register that his case drew attention.
How could this happen?
Normally, Colorado requires that sex offenders stay on the registry list for life, but the charge Buck pleaded to made him eligible for de-registry after 10 years. Under Colorado’s Victim’s Rights Act, victims have the right to be told an offender is trying to deregister and to be present at the hearing, and the victim told her story there. The judge granted the request even after hearing her story, citing, ironically, that he was a practicing lawyer. The judge was subsequently voted off the bench.
KMGH, the station that investigated Buck’s case, found that hundreds of sex offenders are able to de-register in Colorado each year based on misdemeanor sex crimes, deferred sentences, and other reasons.
Could it happen in Maryland?
Maybe. We have different sex offender registry timeframes: 15 years, 25 years, and life; which one you get depends on what kind of crime you were convicted of committing. But Maryland doesn’t de-register, unless you get your conviction overturned or expunged, or are granted a pardon. (Or you move, but the offense “travels” with you, so you’re still on the registry – just not ours.) So I guess technically you could get your criminal record wiped clean, go to law school and then become a lawyer. But I gotta tell you – I think it would be d*mn near impossible for all of that to play out in the same way here.
But if you want to try, I’m your guy.
At Drew Cochran, Attorney at Law, our sexual assault defense lawyers in Annapolis and Ellicott City fight to win acquittals and dismissals of sexual offense charges. We assert Constitutional defenses, legal arguments, and challenge the prosecution’s case in every way possible. We also explain the consequences of convictions including the sexual registry requirements. For help with any sexual offense charge, call us at 410-271-1892, or fill out our contact form – to make an appointment.
And remember: Keep Calm – and Call Drew.
