A former teacher at Central High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma avoided jail time last month, despite pleading guilty in February to second-degree rape involving a student at the school. If the defendant wasn’t the girl’s teacher, the sexual relationship wouldn’t have been considered a crime in Oklahoma. However, under Oklahoma law, it is illegal for …
A former teacher at Central High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma avoided jail time last month, despite pleading guilty in February to second-degree rape involving a student at the school. If the defendant wasn’t the girl’s teacher, the sexual relationship wouldn’t have been considered a crime in Oklahoma. However, under Oklahoma law, it is illegal for a teacher to have sex with a student under the age of 20. If you have been charged with second-degree rape or another serious sex crime in Oklahoma, consult our criminal defense attorneys at Oklahoma Legal Center for legal help. The potential success of your rape case depends largely on the expertise of your criminal defense lawyer. With our reputable attorneys on your side, you can ensure that your legal rights are protected and work to build a strong defense in your sex crime case.
Second-Degree Rape Charges
According to court records, 43-year-old Maurice Alonzo Parker received a five-year suspended sentence for the second-degree rape crime, in which he engaged in sexual activity with an 18-year-old student. Rape is considered a serious sex crime in Oklahoma, and a second-degree rape conviction carries severe penalties in the state. According to Oklahoma law, rape is an act of sexual intercourse between two people under specific circumstances, including: if the victim is under the legal custody or supervision of a state agency, a county or a municipality and engages in sexual intercourse with a state, county or municipality employee. Because the sexual relationship in this case involved a teacher and a student, the student was not legally able to consent, and the teacher was charged with second-degree rape.
Contact Our Criminal Defense Attorneys Today
The lesser of the two rape charges, second-degree rape in Oklahoma is punishable by one to fifteen years in prison. Parker, however, received only a five-year suspended sentence, which involves a judge delaying a defendant’s serving of a sentence after he or she has been found guilty, in order to allow the defendant to serve a period of probation. In most cases, if the defendant does not break the law during a suspended sentence, and fulfills the conditions of the probation, the judge will throw out the sentence. If you are facing charges for a sex crime like rape in Oklahoma, your first course of action should be to enlist the help of our qualified defense lawyers at Oklahoma Legal Center. Being convicted on rape charges can significantly affect the rest of your life. With the help of our experienced defense attorneys, you may be able to have your charges reduced to a lesser offense, or possibly even dismissed altogether.