Criminal charges related to a domestic violence encounter are taken very seriously by the U.S. legal system and rightfully so. The notion that family members and/or friends are having relationship issues serious enough to cause one person to press charges against another for such a crime is devastating unto itself.
How to Proceed if You are Arrested for Domestic Violence Issues
If you have been charged with a crime related to domestic violence, you need to remain calm and remember this is the United States of America and you are innocent until proven guilty. The first step you need to take is to exercise your right to remain silent while you secure proper legal representation. At the Lasky Law Firm, we specialize in handling criminal cases.
Code Ann. § 36-3-619, 2016). This particular section stipulates an officer can arrest a person where he or she believe there is probable cause that the person committed the crime involving domestic violence whether the crime was committed in his or her presence or not. The law enforcement officer has to determine the primary aggressor where he or she believes there is probable cause the crime was committed by more than one individual. One of the most important factors a police officer must consider is if more violence will occur if the alleged assailant is not quickly held behind bars.
Critically analyse what you consider to be the most significant changes in the criminal justice system relating to one particular area.
According to “The United States Department of Justice” Domestic violence is defined as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic violence has different forms sexual, physical, emotional and psychological actions or threats. These forms of treatment can influence another person. There are
David Shestokas states, "Police arriving at the scene of an alleged domestic battery cannot know how volatile the situation is at that moment, or was prior to their arrival. The officers have standard procedures to follow: separating the parties, conducting interviews, observing the scene, checking for injuries, providing information specific to domestic violence and more. However, nearly always someone will be arrested" (Shestokas, 2012.)
The fourth resource in researching Domestic Violence within Washington State pertains to charges and punishments for such crimes. In Washington State, “accusations of domestic violence crimes are taken very seriously by law enforcement, prosecutors, and the courts. In addition to potential jail time and fines, a
When prosecuting criminal domestic violence cases too many officers constructed their entire case only on statements made by the victim. However, “victims of domestic violence are more likely than victims of other violent crime to recant or refuse to cooperate in prosecutorial efforts” (Breitenbach, 2008, p. 1256). Officers must consider that victims of domestic violence may refuse to testify because of fear of retaliation, intimidation, financial dependence, emotional attachment, and/or because they reunited with the batterer. If the victim refused to testify during court, their statement against the abuser becomes hearsay evidence. Several recent cases have had a huge influence on how those statements and hearsay evidence may be
Domestic conflict is the largest single cause of violence in America, yet police have traditionally been reluctant to make arrests for such assaults. In the past decade, however, that reluctance has been overcome, with a 70% increase in arrests for minor assaults, heavily concentrated among low-income and minority groups. Spearheading this nationwide crackdown are the 15 states and the District of Columbia which have adopted unprecedented statutes mandating arrest in cases of misdemeanor domestic battery.
The problem of domestic violence poses a danger to all the members the family unit. In addition, women and men are both ?equally likely to initiate and engage in partner aggression? (Stop Abusive and Violent Environments
The concept of domestic violence is a topic that is not easily defined. In the National Conference of State Legislature emphasizes that domestic violence is defined under the California code S3206 as: “domestic abuse means intentionally or recklessly to cause bodily injury; in reasonable apprehension of imminent serious bodily injury to that or another.” Victims of domestic violence can be anyone regardless of gender, age, race or economic background. Also, domestic violence does not only involve a couple who is married as it happens to cohabitants, partners who are dating and children. Experts as cited by Tina De Benedictis, Ph.D., Jaelline Jaffe, Ph. D and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D. – understanding the cause of domestic violence may be difficult
Out of the shadows and into the limelight, the once hidden crime of domestic violence has recently emerged within the Australian community as a widespread criminal issue. This abuse of power occurs in a relationship when one partner attempts to physically or psychologically dominate and control the other. Inflicting physical harm upon another human being is undoubtedly a breach of the criminal law, yet the Australian legal system takes little measures to protect the wider community from this type of violence. According to Family Lawyer Richard Ingleby, domestic violence has often been condoned by the legal system due to the fact that assaults occur in the ‘private’ realm of the home where legal measures are regarded as inappropriate, and interventionist. However, by overlooking domestic violence as a criminal offence, does the Australian legal system fail to adequately protect the family unit from this form of violence? Recent studies from the Australian Bureau of Statics have revealed that 23% of women who have ever been married or engaged in a de facto relationship have experienced violence by a partner at some time during the relationship. Due to the secrecy that once surrounded this kind of abuse, victims often feel unable to speak out and seek help, therefore even large surveys cannot provide accurate estimates of the extend of domestic violence within the Australia community (Domestic Violence and Incest Resource Centre, 1998). Despite the high incidence rate of
Occasionally, people in Colorado, and elsewhere, do not see eye to eye with the people who they are in a relationship with. When such disagreements turn physical, law enforcement may be called and one or both of them might be arrested for domestic violence. A serious criminal offense, it is important for people to understand the potential penalties they could face if convicted of such charges.
There are many different types of domestic violence. Physical abuse is the most obvious form, but this is not to say that outsiders always recognize it. Generally, physical violence causes bodily harm, using a variety of methods. Slapping, pushing, throwing, hitting, punching, and strangling are only a few methods. An object or weapon may or may not be used. There is not always physical evidence of physical abuse such as bruising, bleeding, scratches, bumps, etc., therefore, absence of physical marks does not necessarily mean physical abuse had not occurred. Physical abuse sometimes escalates to murder (Morris and Biehl 7, Haley 14-17).
Domestic Violence is one of the most common crimes that occur, however not all of them being reported. There are many effects and causes to this behavior in law enforcement officers that have been studied by many researchers and doctors, authors, and the media. The victims of domestic violence from law enforcement officers (mostly being women) are affected by this greatly on a higher level than regular women who aren’t married to police officers, as they have much more to lose if such acts were ever reported on their spouses. There are many theoretical causes of domestic violence from law enforcement officers, which effect their victims greatly, making it almost impossible for them to report any offense without some type of consequence of
Domestic Violence is one of the most common crimes that occur, however not all of them being reported. There are many effects and causes to this behavior in law enforcement officers that have been studied by many researchers doctors, authors, and the media. The victims of domestic violence from law enforcement officers (mostly being women) are affected by this greatly on a higher level than regular women who aren’t married to police officers or, as they have much more to lose if such acts were ever reported on their spouses. There are many theoretical causes of domestic violence from law enforcement officers, which effect their victims greatly, making it almost impossible for them to report any offense without some type of
Over the last few decades, a wide variety of statutory, procedural, and organizational reforms have been enacted throughout the legal system to combat the widespread and destructive effects of domestic violence. Beginning in the 1970’s, efforts focused primarily on implementing legislation that criminalized domestic violence. Police departments instituted pro-arrest or mandatory arrest policies, prosecution increased dramatically, and the courts began using a variety of sanctions such as jail, probation, and mandatory treatment. At the same time, civil legal protections were expanded to cover domestic issues and protection and restraining orders became widespread (Fagan, 1996).