Domestic Violence

To navigate the legal consequences of domestic violence, it is important to know some truths about domestic violence.
Not every domestic violence incident is resolved in criminal court.  Civil injunctions are available to individuals who are seeking protection against past interpersonal violence or threats of possible interpersonal violence.
Not every person accused of committing a domestic violence offense is a wife beater.
Not every person charged with committing a domestic violence related crime is a man.
But a domestic violence conviction or injunction will rapidly affect your time, money, and reputation.
People make mistakes, sometimes they fail at controlling the heightened sound of their voices, fail to refrain from getting too close to someone’s physically sacred space, or even fail to stay calm during verbal confrontations.  But there is also a known propensity for nosey neighbors and bystanders, unreasonable or unnecessarily confrontational officers, and unfair rules that threaten the futures of many. There are also people who intentionally instill fear in others as a means of controlling them.  There are also people who lie about violence and create false claims to gain an advantage over the other person.  A series of poor choices can result in wrongful accusations and unfair domestic violence and other criminal charges.
Claims of domestic violence disproportionately impact immigration consequences and other professional, economic, and personal factors.  Being a victim of domestic violence, being wrongful accused of being violent, or facing unfair charges will  negatively influence someone’s ability to get a job, keep a job, secure housing, maintain healthy relationships, maintain balance with emotional and mental health, etc.