Overcoming the injustice of sex crime accusations is our Passion and our Craft

“His only crime is sacrificing himself to defend those who are falsely accused”.

From Diablo Magazine about Patrick Clancy, The Founder of the Innocence Legal Team

“Patrick Clancy, Founder of the Innocence Legal Team, is among the top five child molestation defense trial attorneys in the United States. We jointly created State Bar of California approved continuing education courses covering all issues in child molestation. Defense have taught hundreds of attorneys in the techniques of defending these cases. I was his expert witness in a case that NBC filmed for three weeks and made into a television special. We have also worked on child molestation cases as attorneys together. I know of no one that has tried and won more child molestation defenses.” Demosthenes Lorandos, PhD in Psychology, Doctorate in Law, Licensed in New York, Washington, D.C., Michigan, and California. Noted author/co-author of “Cross Examining Experts in the Behavioral Sciences”, “The International Handbook of Parental Alienation Syndrome”, “Parental Alienation - Handbook for Mental Health and Legal Professionals” and “Benchbook in the Behavioral Sciences”

Our Team of experts is exclusively dedicated to defending against sex crime allegations

  • Innocence Legal Team is the only law firm in California that specializes exclusively in sex crime allegations, especially child molestation and rape allegations.
  • With expertise, passion and dedication, we are fierce advocates for our clients. We build a winning defense strategy that is highly unique for each allegation.
  • With the Innocence Legal Team by your side you will feel confidence and hope for your future.

We defend you when the odds are stacked against you

  • The prosecution uses severe potential sentences to extract plea bargains. However, some of these defendants are innocent.
  • The sentencing laws in child molestation cases are more severe than for murder. If you committed first degree murder of a child, you would be facing a sentence of 25 to life.
  • If you sexually touch without penetration two different children each under 14 years of age, each count carries 15 to life.
  • If there is one child who is 10 years of age or younger, and the defendant is age 18 or older, and there is some penetration no matter how slight, the sentence is 25 years to life per count.
  • If there is no penetration, only one child and that child is under 14 years old, the potential sentence is 8 years per count

Innocence legal team gets judge to rule that 14 multiple life sentences for rubbing boys chests was cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
Defendant was originally facing 150 counts and 3500 years plus life potential sentence.

“The 12-year sentence is described by his defense attorney, Patrick Clancy as “rare” since it’s much more lenient than the 25 years to life that is required by statute as the minimum sentence. “It’s not every day you can get a judge to hold that the statutory sentence is cruel and unusual”Clancy (News-Gazette 4/1/2015)

How We Win

Preparation, preparation, preparation…

  • To maximize your chances of the most favorable outcome in a sex crime allegation case, we prepare extensively.
  • To prepare extensively you cannot have a huge case load. Fewer cases means more time to prepare “your” case.

More time for preparation combined with specialization raises our win rate.

Patrick Clancy is the “True Expert” in the field.
Founder and Chief Strategist, Innocence Legal Team

  • He has TRIED more Child Molestation jury trials than any other attorney in the State of California.
  • He has WON more Child Molestation jury trials than any other attorney in the State of California
  • He is the “Team Leader” for 4-6 cases at a time and “Chief Strategist” for all the Innocence Legal Team cases

Lawyer Patrick Clancy | Top Attorney Sex Crime
  • Shep Zebberman
  • John Forsyth
  • Michael Chastaine
  • Patrick Clancy
  • Patrick Riggs
  • Julie Schumer
  • Rita Smith
  • Greg Foster
  • Michael Reardon
  • Rod Harmon
Shep Zebberman

Shep Zebberman

Team Leader, Los Angeles County

“Our Constitution guarantees the right to the presumption of innocence. That idea is essential to our liberty, our system of law, and to people accused of crimes.”

John Forsyth

John Forsyth

Team Leader, San Francisco & Peninsula

“Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal.”

Shep Zebberman

Michael Chastaine

Team Leader, Sacramento

“The worst crime a person can be accused of is sexual misconduct.  Even the accusation can have a profound impact on a person’s life.  I have spent the better part of three decades helping people accused of these charges.”

Patrick Clancy

Patrick Clancy

Team Leader, South Bay
Chief Strategist, California

“For over four decades my career has been dedicated to representing those falsely accused of child molestation against the unfair systems that we have in this field.”

Patrick Riggs

Patrick Riggs

Team Leader, East Bay

“Faced with the prospect of the loss of your family, freedom, and reputation, you simply can’t settle for anything less than an attorney who is prepared to protect you at all times.”

Julie Schumer

Julie Schumer

Certified Appellate Law Specialist

“For over 30 years, I have dedicated my career to defending those already convicted of a crime, knowing that I was the last hope for a clients freedom or life time in prison.”

Rita Smith

Rita Smith

Team Leader, Inland Valley & San Diego

“As a criminal defense attorney for over 40 years, I believe the challenge of our times for is to be able to continue to vigorously represent our clients with the zeal we have always exhibited in the past and continue to keep abreast of new types of scientific evidence.”

Greg Foster

Greg Foster

Team Leader, Sacramento

“Our constitution is the oldest living document that still stands today because of the work of attorneys and judicial servants on both defense and prosecution teams.”

Michael Reardon

Michael Reardon

Team Leader, Central Valley

“Our Constitution guarantees the right to the presumption of innocence. That idea is essential to our liberty, our system of law, and to people accused of crimes.”

Rod Harmon

Rod Harmon

Chief Investigator

“My life has been dedicated to working within the criminal justice system. I sincerely believe our system works when everyone does their job.”

It takes a specialized team to win...

Team Leader, Chief Strategist, Chief Appellate Lawyer, Chief Science Officer, Investigators, Experts, and Paralegals.

Details of Our Whole Team

A Local Attorney or An Expert in the field?
Focus on what matters!

Does hiring a local attorney give you an advantage with your case?

  • You are being told by a local attorney that he knows the DA or he knows the Judge. Do you think that a Judge or a DA will risk ruining their career by doing a favor for someone accused of a sex crime? No! The judge and the jury are swayed and impressed by a defense presented with skill, which means you should focus on the expertise and experience of the attorney you are about to hire.
  • You are told by a local attorney that he knows the politics of the county. Do you want someone influenced by the politics of the county or someone that has no fear of the local politics?
  • Expertise, experience and skills are more important than hiring a local attorney when your entire future is at stake.

A Life Saved

“I am a teacher and Patrick Clancy successfully defended me against allegations by eight of my elementary school pupils. First, I hired the best local criminal law attorney in Stockton, California. For the next year, he made promises of how he was going to help me. On the day of trial, my local attorney put me under extreme pressure to take a deal to one felony count of child molestation with a maximum of one year in the county jail. I was told that I couldn’t win against eight accusers and would spend the rest of my life in prison. I took the deal even though I was innocent.

Before I was sentenced I went to see Patrick Clancy, an expert in child molestation allegation defenses. In fifteen minutes he laid out the strategy to win the case. He called what had happened to me “group hysteria”. My case had the same issues as the famous “McMartin” case. It took 18 months to win withdrawing of the plea that I had entered and another year to win the trial. Patrick Clancy saved my life and my career. He is truly the best. I learned it was more important to have an expert lawyer in child molestation defense than the best local criminal law attorney.”One of the Innocence Legal Team Clients evaluations on AVVO

Mistakes today have consequences in the future

Too many times we have to repair the damage caused by a prior attorney

  • The Innocence Legal Team is often the second lawyer hired by the client. Many thought that they initially hired an expert in sex crimes defense but learned that they were wrong.
  • One fatal mistake is pressuring a client who is innocent into a plea bargain before the case is prepared and an intelligent and informed decision can be made.
  • Mistakes in case strategy developed by your prior attorney may be irreparable.
  • Mistakes usually mean that you have spent tens of thousands of dollars before discovering that you have the wrong attorney. This may leave you without sufficient funds to hire a “True Expert”.
I was falsely accused of child molest and faced multiple lifetime sentence charges. Mr. Clancy was the 3rd attorney I hired for the case because the first 2 were not experts in the field and could not handle my case well. Mr. Clancy is extremely knowledgeable about this specific field of law. He communicated with me often and helped me to make informed decisions. The case was brought to trial. He did an amazing job of defending me and wining back my freedom with Not Guilty Verdict on all counts.HS Project Manager, High Tech Firm in Silicon Valley Martindale.com

Practice Areas

  • Child Sexual Abuse Allegations
  • Child Pornography Allegations
  • Child Physical Abuse Allegations
  • Defense from Rape Allegations
  • Defense from Internet Sting Allegations
  • Appeals From Sex Crime Convictions
  • Clean Your Records
Over half of molestation-abuse accusations are false, yet this crime has the highest conviction rate of any felony charge. An accusation of child molestation can start in a custody battle and lead to juvenile and criminal cases. An anonymous accusation of abuse can lead to the removal of your children, to criminal charges, to separation from your spouse, and ultimately a prison sentence. Your best defense is to understand the system you face and have the most experienced legal representation possible. See Our Resources – An In Depth Assembly of Information About Child Sexual Molestation
Access to pornography has changed dramatically in the last decade. While adult films may be seen privately in homes or hotels, or downloaded easily from the internet, child pornography is a still a serious crime that is punished with a prison sentences and life-long registration as a sex offender. Your best defense is to understand the system you face and have the most experienced legal representation post. See Our Resources – An In Depth Assembly of Information About Child Pornography
Child physical abuse is taken very seriously by professionals in variety of fields. The federal government requires doctors, nurses, therapists, teachers, librarians and other caretakers to report suspected cases of abuse. If your child has unusual or unexplained injuries, you could be accused of child physical abuse, be charged, tried and could face a jail or prison sentence. Your best defense is to understand the system you face and have the most experienced legal representation possible. See Our Resources - An In Depth Assembly of Information About Child Abuse Defenses
For decades, the crime of rape has been known as the easiest criminal allegation to make by the alleged victim and the hardest to disprove by the defendant. In the 1960's, the victims of this brutal crime were able to take advantage of significant changes in the law that made it easier to obtain convictions and justice. Unfortunately, these changes also made it easier for those who were falsely accused of rape to be convicted as well. Adding to the defendant’s difficulties is the controversial “Rape Trauma Syndrome,” an irresponsible psychological theory that has been rejected by mental health professionals, but is still being used by prosecutors as so-called evidence in cases alleging the crime of rape. Your best defense is to understand the system you face and have the most experienced legal representation possible. See Our Resources – An In Depth Assembly of Information About Rape
The “Crime de Jour” of the 90's How is it possible to sit at your own computer exercising your 1st amendment rights and be the subject of a police Internet Sex Stings operation? Actually your vulnerability becomes quite apparent once you understand the internet crime laws. Your best defense is to understand the system you face and have the most experienced legal representation possible. See Our Resources – An In Depth Assembly of Information About Internet Stings
To be falsely accused of child molestation or abuse is an excruciatingly painful experience, but it cannot compare to the devastation of having one’s life utterly destroyed by a wrongful conviction and imprisonment. The earlier you begin the appeals process, the better chance your have for possible reversal. Your best chance is starting before your sentencing hearing. Your best defense is to understand the system you face and have the most experienced legal representation possible.See Our Resources – An In Depth Assembly of Information About Appeals
Today a person convicted of a sexual offense is required to register as a sex offender for life. The registration was originally designed as an aid to law enforcement and was not available to the general public. With the passage of “Megan’s Law” however, the list of registered sex offenders is available to the public over the internet. California’s legislature has made it nearly impossible except in narrowly defined cases to remove one’s name from the registry. This is true even if the registrant is rehabilitated, even if he has led an exemplary life for decades.See Our Resources – An In Depth Assembly of Information About Cleaning Your Records
Not Guilty Verdict on all 16 counts of Child Molest Charges, each carried a sentence of 15 or 25 years to Life. In 2013, I was falsely accused of child molest and the overly zealous DA office filed 16 charges on me. Each count carried a 15 or 25 years to life sentence. At first I was in denial and thought since I did not do anything wrong, these charges would just go away. Wow, was I wrong! The DA did not do any real investigation and focused their efforts in working with the accusers to convict me. Due to the social stigma regarding these allegations, the rule “Innocent until proven guilty” goes out the window. I realized I was in deep trouble and needed a real expert on this type of allegations to win back my freedom.
Through extensive researches and books, I found Mr. Clancy whose firm is the only one that specializes in Sex Crime Allegation Defense and has been doing nothing else but that for almost 40 years. He and his team listened to me carefully to understand my case and took necessary immediate actions to avoid further damage. He then expertly developed a strategy on how to win my case and diligently carried it out with his team step by step.
His confident demeanor and special talent in connecting and building rapport with the Judge and Jurors in the court room ultimately resulted in my Not Guilty verdict on all 16 charges. Thank you, Mr. Clancy, for fighting hard for my freedom and dignity.HL Bay Area High Tech

Our Winning System

This system was developed by Patrick Clancy, Founder and Chief Strategist of the Innocence Legal Team.

Mr. Clancy has dedicated himself to providing unparalleled legal representation to the wrongfully accused as well as developing a technologically based model of ‘best practices’ for handling complex and difficult litigation. I recommend his work unhesitatingly.Alex Henderson, Criminal Defense Attorney, San Francisco

When do I call an attorney?

You should call an attorney as soon as you become aware that you are a target of an investigation.

CALL NOW, AVOID JAIL

  • Ask yourself this: ? Has someone made an allegation against me? Are the police working on preparing a case against me? It is time to call.
  • Pre-emptive preparation may help in having no charges filed at all and avoiding arrest and jail.
  • Pre-emptive Investigation can prevent witnesses being lost or changing sides due to pressure.
  • You need an attorney to protect you from police tactics.
  • You can be tricked into an interrogation that is designed to use psychological pressure on you.
  • Beware of pretext phone calls! You maybe psychologically pressured and recorded.
Sex abuse cases are the most difficult cases to defend because society’s abhorrence of these crimes and the consequential rush to judgment. Mr. Clancy is one of the best lawyers you could have at your side, should you be falsely accused of this type of crime. I’ve attended his seminars and accessed his information that he provides freely on his website. For these reasons, I wholeheartedly endorse him as a fighter who must overcome almost insurmountable odds.Markus Dombois, Criminal Defense Attorney

We handle sex allegation cases all over the state of California

Innocence Legal Team’s Goal is to schedule a SAME DAY APPOINTMENT at one of our office locations.
We accept requests for meetings after hours, on weekends, and at locations different than our usual office locations.

  • Encino Tel: (818) 698-1550
  • Sacramento Tel: (916) 266-6560
  • Pasadena Tel: (626) 628-2711
  • San Jose Tel: (408) 414-8170
  • Riverside Tel: (951) 823-1320
  • Walnut Creek Tel: (888) 817-3160
  • San Diego Tel: (619) 374-6439
  • Santa Ana Tel: (714) 200-2825

If an office listed above is not located near you, fill in your zip code to help us find a location where we can meet.