What are the laws and penalties for domestic violence and abuse?

Let us first address what qualifies as domestic violence by the letter of the law. Legally speaking, criminal defense lawyers confirm that domestic violence is a crime punishable by law and that it is defined as an act of physical violence committed against a spouse, relative, or a romantic/sexual partner. Paul Bennett knows all about this in the show Dexter but Dexter took care of him much to most peoples’ satisfaction.

However, in some states, an actual violent act need not even be committed for the person to be slapped with domestic violence. Just a threat to commit such an act against certain protected persons will also be classified and treated legally as a case of domestic violence.

If you have been physically assaulted by a former partner or relative and need to know what your legal options are in terms of recuperating the damages that were inflicted upon you, we urge you to speak with a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible.

A legal professional will keep your case confidential if you so desire and will work with you to help achieve the outcome you want from the situation or case. Furthermore, a legal representative will also prove to be a fantastic friend and a marvelous pillar of emotional support during such testing times. But even if you are not BFF with your lawyer, that is fine. If they are beating the other side and building a solid case for you, that is most important.  

You should be BFF with this site though: Criminal-Defense.USAttorneys.com. This site is a winner and can help you secure the legal help you need. Even if you make a mistake like Jason Kidd did with his spouse in Phoenix in 2001 you need a second chance. Perhaps what people believe happened did not really happen in that manner.

Protected persons – who are they?

According to expert criminal defense lawyers, people (spouses, relatives, children, and partners) who are living under the same roof as an aggressor (someone who has been domestically violent before) will qualify as protected persons. You saw this with the beautiful Julia Roberts in the not so good movie Sleeping with the Enemy.

In fact, in many states, the legislation has been further amended to include former spouses and former partners who were in a relationship with the aggressor. This amendment was to address the obvious fact that often violence can also occur at the end or after the end of a relationship.

In some other states, Connecticut for example, it is not even a mandate that the protected person needs to be living with the aggressor. For instance, if two persons who are parents of the same child but are not currently living together and are divorced and one of them is an aggressor, then the other one will be considered a protected person and criminal defense lawyers in this state know about that.

Domestic violence in presence of a child

To address scientific studies which show that a child could become deeply emotionally scarred for the rest of its life from witnessing a violent episode, which can even include drunk driving in order to take revenge on a partner, some states have introduced additional consequences and punishments for domestic violence offenders or aggressors that commit the violence or the threat in the presence of a child.

Often times, a partner may falsely accuse the other of abuse. If you have been wrongly charged with domestic violence and abuse, make sure to consult an experienced criminal defense lawyer right away. If convicted you could spend months or years in prison depending on several circumstances surrounding the case. Your legal counselor will have a deep understanding of how the prosecution can build a case against you and determine the best strategy to defend your rights.