DAVID STOROBIN: The public has strong feelings about sex crimes and sex offenders, especially those involving children. Unlike other crimes, even unsubstantiated accusations of sex crimes usually mean being convicted in the court of public opinion until you prove yourself innocent. More than in any other criminal case, it is important that your criminal defense lawyer is experienced and knowledgeable about the special considerations of sex crime cases.
Child sex crimes are among the most serious sex crimes with first degree rape carrying potentially a 25-year prison sentence. Even the lowest level rape (third degree) carries a potential 4-year sentence. And yet child molestation cases remain among the most frequently mischarged crimes against innocent people because children imagine things that they heard about others to have happened against them. The media, of course, usually gets involved and crucifies the defendant before any of the facts are known.
It is easy to accuse someone a sex crime, and then difficult to disprove. In a case involving accusations of statutory rape, an innocent act can be perceived wrongly or the child can just imagine something that simply did not happen. Scientific literature by doctors and psychologists explains why children make up these cases. They aren't bad kids. But children live in a different world from adults. The things they imagine – the boogey-man under the bed, a stone monument waving to them – may seem funny, until children hear about sex on TV and imagine that it happened to them.
That is just one type of sex crime. In cases of forcible rape, the alleged victim may just be making an accusation because of greed, revenge or another emotion.
Yes, we can't trust those women and children–they'll lie about anything, and lie with anyone, and then they don’t even have the decency to send Rush the videos
It is time to explain a subtle distinction seemingly lost on the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee.
It is wrong to make an issue out of what type of law David Storobin practices, or who his clients are.
As Storobin’s spokesman notes:
“…this isn’t a totalitarian state where you’re accused and sent straight to jail…Under the Constitution, people accused of crimes are entitled to legal representation before the courts,..”
So, it’s not OK to judge David Storobin by the type of law he practices.
But it is OK to judge him by his statements and what they indicate about his system of values and his view of the world.
I think Storobin’s statements about rape and child molestation, posted on his law firm’s website, speak volumes about his complete and utter lack of sensitivity and his probable misogyny.
Plenty of honorable men and women practice criminal law. Many of these honorable men and women defend those accused of rape and child molestation. The work of these honorable men and women helps to ensure that only the guilty get punished and thereby protects all our rights including those of the victims.
But, speaking personally, without regard to what the system permits, I submit that it is not honorable to run “nudge, nudge, wink wink” dog whistling advertising letting your potential client base know that you regard women and children as congenital liars based upon their greed, feminine emotional instability and childish delusions.
I think we have the right to make judgments about the value systems and worldviews of attorneys who would run such advertising.
I think they are sick.
A couple of minor points.
Yesterday, Storobin’s spokesman said:
““For the record, during his career David has defended exactly one person who committed a sex crime involving child pornography. That person pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, received a 12 year sentence and is in currently jail where he belongs,”
Yet Storobin’s website says:
“ Storobin & Spodek LLP is a criminal defense law firm experienced in defending people accused of all types of sex crimes: forcible rape, statutory rape, child pornography, etc. We've defended people accused of sex crime in both New York State and Federal courts. Whether you are looking to take the case to trial to fight the charges or you are looking to plea bargain, you need a criminal defense lawyer who knows exactly what to do in a case like yours. If you are looking for a criminal defense attorney, call us at…”
I suppose defending one child pornographer, in a proceeding where he plead out to a long sentence, technically amounts to “experience.” But a better term for this sort of boast would be “massive exaggeration.”
Why the DSCC chose to focus on the laundry list of what types of clients Storobin serves, rather than the sick things he says to obtain their business, is baffling in the extreme.