Criminal Defense Attorney

Jacksonville, Florida

Domestic Violence Law

An act of domestic violence is defined as any action or threat directed at a spouse, relationship partner, live-in companion, or other family member that causes the victim to fear for his or her safety. If law enforcement officers respond to a domestic violence call and it appears that one person may have been injured by the other person, officials are required to make an arrest. This often means that the person who has any injury on their body is labeled the victim and the other person is arrested for domestic violence.

If you are charged with domestic violence in the state of Florida, you could be charged with a misdemeanor or a felony-depending on the severity of the domestic violence offense. You could also face:

• Time in jail.
• Community service.
• Counseling.
• Payment of fines and Court costs.
• Anger management training.
• A "No contact" condition that prohibits you from seeing the alleged victim.
• A "No return" condition that prohibits you from being able to enter your home.

Unless you are acquitted at trial or the charges are dismissed against you, a domestic violence charge cannot be "expunged" from your arrest record. A misdemeanor conviction can include one year supervised probation, a $1000 maximum fine, up to one year in jail, limited or no contact with the victim, and at least 6 months participation in a batterers' intervention program.

You need to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney who knows how the system works to protect your legal rights.

An experienced criminal defense attorney can:

• File a bail bond for your release.
• Interview the alleged victim and any other witnesses to see if there are any statements that they can use for your defense.
• See whether the alleged victim has changed their mind regarding the incident and would now like to drop the charges.

Even if the victim drops their domestic violence claim against you, it is up to the State Attorney's office to decide whether to file criminal charges. Often the State "picks up" the charge even when the victim requests no prosecution.

Contact any one of our two Jacksonville, Florida criminal defense offices for more info.