Domestic violence charges can have a significant impact on the lives of those facing them. For that reason, those accused of domestic violence should know how to defend themselves against domestic violence charges.
What is considered domestic violence?
Domestic violence can refer to allegations of violence against a family member, household member or dating partners either current or past dating partners. Domestic violence can include allegations of bodily injury or threats to cause bodily injury. Domestic violence can refer to a variety of different types of violence including different types of physical violence, emotional violence, financial violence, psychological violence and sexual violence.
Penalties for domestic violence
Penalties for domestic violence can range from misdemeanor charges to felony charges. Misdemeanor charges can commonly carry up to a year in jai land fine and felony charges can result in 5 to 99 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. The specific penalty an accused individual can end up facing depends on several different factors and additional penalties and consequences may also apply.
Because of the significance of domestic violence charges, it is important for those accused of committing family violence to be familiar with potential defenses to the charges they are facing. Accused individuals may be able to base their criminal defense on self defense or that no offense occurred. Other defenses may also be possible based on the situation and circumstances. Accused individuals should be prepared to defend themselves against serious charges of family violence.
