How Long Do Sex Crime Cases Take in Illinois? Combs Waterkotte attorneys Christopher Combs and Joshua Boardman discuss everything you need to know about Illinois sex crime charges, including sexual assault, sexual abuse, rape, and more.
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Interview Transcript
Scott Michael Dunn: How long do sex crime cases take in Illinois?
Joshua Boardman: It can completely vary. But they often take longer from the inception of the case through the disposal via a plea or via a trial setting. They often take longer than cases such as a DWI or possession case. And the reason for that is based on several factors. One of which is how serious the allegations are when it comes to sentencing. So, depending on the sex crime, you could be looking at mandatory minimums for prison time. You could be looking at sex offender registry requirements. So, you want to make sure that you have all the evidence and all the details and all the facts before either disposing of the case via plea or trial. And that is a very time-consuming process for the state’s attorney’s office because they may be on a delayed schedule waiting on DNA evidence. There may be witnesses that are cooperative or uncooperative and then they’re trying to juggle those schedules. Obviously, as a criminal defense attorney, we’re not trying to rush through any of the allegations or any of the fact collection or data collection before disposing of the case. So, there’s not a good answer to, “Oh, it’s done in 12 to 14 months.” But typically the lifespan of these serious sex crimes is longer than many other types of crime classifications.
Christopher Combs: And one thing I would say that I find myself saying constantly is that you never want to rush a case at the expense of the outcome. Now, that’s much easier to tell someone who’s out on bond, right? You’re sitting behind bars. It’s a little different to explain, “Look, we don’t want to rush things at the expense of the outcome.” But again, and I’m beating a dead horse, but you do not want, particularly in a sex case, to rush the case at the expense of an outcome.
