The Next New Thing In Colorado False Allegation Sexual Assault Cases – My Brain Made Me Lie

Colorado False Allegation Sexual Assault Cases

By H. Michael Steinberg – Colorado Sex Crimes Criminal Defense Lawyer – Attorney

The Next New Thing In False Allegation Sexual Assault Cases will be experts testifying on the government payroll that the reason the alleged victim of a sexual assault “appears” to be lying is the result of her brain malfunctioning after the alleged crime occurs.

False Allegations Or Lack Of Cooperation Explained

Coming soon to a sexual assault trial in a Colorado courtroom near you – an expert will testify that the reason the alleged victim of a sexual assault may appear to be lying or misleading the police is the result of a brain malfunction. The argument in support of this approach is based on studies on relatively recent neurobiology and trauma of alleged rape victims.

During the investigation of an alleged sexual assault, the alleged victim is expected to give a clear and chronological account of what happened. If the alleged victim’s affect is inappropriate – her memory confused, the facts inconsistent then – we can expect an expert to now explain these deficiencies using this new “brain science.”

The argument is this:

“[S]cience is telling us that our suspicions of victims, the ones that seem like common sense, are flat-out baseless. A number of recent studies on neurobiology and trauma show that the ways in which the brain processes harrowing events accounts for victim behavior that often confounds cops, prosecutors, and juries.”

The National Center for the Prosecution of Violence Against Women, an organization that clearly has an agenda, argues that the percentage of false allegations of sexual assault is only 2 to 8 percent. Other organizations have the percentage much higher. But even at 8 to 10% that means that 1 in 10 women actually destroy the lives of their mostly male targets with false allegations of sexual assault. Those are live that almost never rebuilt – never reconstructed – never the same.

Why It Only “Seems” Like They Are Lying

As noted above, women’s victims groups now point to neurobiology to explain why alleged victims “seem like they could be lying.” This is how it works – experts will use brain imaging technology to “identify which parts of the brain are activated when a person contemplates a traumatic memory such as sexual assault.” The brain’s prefrontal cortex becomes temporarily impaired and the amygdala which is known to encode emotional experiences then dominates the brain and places the alleged victim in a “frozen” or “dissociative” state.

Colorado False Allegation Sexual Assault Cases – The Blame Game

Using this theory – alleged victims of sexual assault will be able to explain why they could not recall what happed to them – why versions of their assault were inconsistent and why they should NOW be believed. With proper training, to ask the right questions, we are told, the truth will come out properly. No it won’t..

Colorado False Allegation Sexual Assault Cases – H. Michael’s Take

What You Can Do As A Colorado Sex Assault Criminal Defense Lawyer Can To Defend Those Targeted By So Called Expert Neurological Testimony

In the courtroom – expert testimony such as this must be challenged BEFORE it reaches a jury. So called Daubert challenges must be launched at these politically motivated “research” before the testimony is used to take away the jury’s fact-finding function.

The challenge is explained as follows:

The Colorado judge – facing a Daubert challenge conducts a preliminary determination of the admissibility of the evidence. Is the evidence is relevant, competent, and material and can the evidence be properly applied to the facts in this case? This “gatekeeping” function then balances the following “reliability factors” that follows:

Has the scientific theory or technique been empirically tested?

Has the scientific theory or technique been subjected to peer review and publication?

What is the known or potential error rate?

What is the expert’s qualifications and stature in the scientific community? And does the technique rely upon the special skills and equipment of one expert, or can it be replicated by other experts elsewhere?

Can the technique and its results be explained with sufficient clarity and simplicity so that the court and the jury can understand its plain meaning?

The following months and years will witness a battle in Colorado sexual assault cases to prohibit the admissibility of this very suspect and dangerous evidence. Colorado False Allegation Sexual Assault Cases will continue to be filed and they will continue to be battled by experienced and competent Colorado criminal defense lawyers.