Sexual Assault Benchbook

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MJI’s Sexual Assault Benchbook provides information about:

• Michigan’s criminal sexual conduct offenses (and other related offenses), including applicable defenses.

• Research findings and statistics on sexual assault, its victims and its offenders.

• Community agencies and resources that assist victims of sexual assault.

• Special courtroom procedures that protect the rights of victims, witnesses, and defendants.

• Evidentiary matters, including discussion of Michigan’s rape shield law, sexual assault evidence collection kits, privileges, polygraph tests, selected hearsay rules, DNA testing and admissibility, and other selected matters.

• Communicable disease testing, and post-conviction requests for DNA testing, expungement of convictions, and destruction of fingerprints, arrest card, and description.

• Identification and profiling systems for sex offenders, including discussion of Michigan’s Sex Offenders Registration Act (SORA), its "sexually motivated crime" filing system, the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), the DNA identification profiling system, and statutes governing the retention of a sex offender’s fingerprints, arrest card, and description.

• Civil remedies for sexual assault victims, including discussion of the Crime Victim Services Commission.

  • Table of Contents: (PDF 14KB)

  • Chap. 1: Understanding Sexual Violence: pages 1-22
    (PDF 61KB)

  • Chap. 2: The Criminal Sexual Conduct Act: pages 23-114
    (PDF 258KB)

  • Chap. 3: Other Related Offenses: pages 115-202
    (PDF 211KB)

  • Chap. 4: Defenses to Sexual Assault Crimes: pages 203-246
    (PDF 124KB)

  • Chap. 5: Bond and Discovery: pages 247-280
    (PDF 94KB)

  • Chap. 6: Specialized Procedures Governing Preliminary Examinations and Trials:
    pages 281-320 (PDF 109KB)

  • Chap. 7: General Evidence: pages 321-398
    (PDF 213KB)

  • Chap. 8: Scientific Evidence: pages 399-440
    (PDF 126KB)

  • Chap. 9: Post-Conviction and Sentencing Matters: pages 441-480
    (PDF 104KB)

  • Chap. 10: Other Remedies for Victims of Sexual Assault: pages 481-510
    (PDF 87KB)

  • Chap. 11: Sex Offender Identification and Profiling Systems: pages 511-552
    (PDF 101KB)

  • Appendix Table of Contents (PDF 7KB)

  • Appendix A: Sexual Assault Service Providers in Michigan (PDF 14KB)

  • Appendix B: Michigan Medical Forensic Examination Record Body Maps (PDF 185KB)

  • Appendix C: Directory of Michigan SANE Programs (PDF 11KB)

  • Appendix D: Standard Recommended Procedures for the Emergency Treatment of Sexual Assault Victims (PDF 135KB)

  • Appendix E: Sex Motivated Crime Report (PDF 415KB)

  • Indices Table of Contents (PDF 7KB)

  • Subject Matter Index (PDF 35KB)

  • Table of Authorities (PDF 69KB)

Updates to the Sexual Assault Benchbook

• 2007 Updates

• 2006 Updates

• 2005 Updates

• 2004 Updates

To view all of our Publications updates, visit our Updates page.

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