Sexual assault is a very serious crime, one that carries severe penalties and can leave you with a reputation that mars your future prospects indefinitely. In the state of New York, there are many different sexual assault charges that can be filed against someone accused of such crimes. Just look at the list here. You’ll quickly notice that most of these are considered felonies.
In the state of New York, sexual assault charges before a judge give that judge the discretion to pick a range of years for their sentence. What this means is someone who is sentenced on sexual assault charges will have an “indeterminate” sentence, and that his or her time in jail will largely depend on how he or she behaves while behind bars once the minimum part of the range is met.
A judge will set the minimum part of a sentence for someone accused of sexual assault at one to two years. This is the lowest the range can go by law. A judge will set the maximum part of a sentence for someone accused of sexual assault at seven years. This is the highest the range can go by law. A judge can choose any range within those years for sexual assault cases.
As you can see, there is a lot on the line when you are accused of sexual assault in the state of New York. Consult with a criminal defense attorney to get your questions answered and to uphold your rights.
Source: FindLaw, “Sexual Assault Penalties and Sentencing,” Accessed Feb. 15, 2017