Domestic Violence Charges: Navigating the Tightrope
If you’re reading this article, it’s probably because you’ve been arrested for domestic violence. Quite possibly, when police arrived, they found probable cause to believe that a domestic violence offense had been committed within 4 hours of their arrival. That’s all they need to arrest you–in fact, when they do find such probable cause, they’re required to arrest whoever they believe to be the primary aggressor.
So now what? Where do you stand and what should you do? First, we’ll look at the nature of assault and domestic violence charges. Then, we’ll talk about the most important things for you to do.
Assault Vs. Domestic Violence
The most important difference between assault and domestic violence is, as you might guess, who an alleged assault has been committed against. As we mention in another blog post, assault in Washington is a) intentionally touching someone in an unwanted and/or harmful way, b) trying and failing to touch someone in an unwanted and/or harmful way, and/or c) intentionally making someone afraid that you’re going to touch them in an unwanted and/or harmful way.
According to the Washington State Legislature, assault can become a domestic offense when it’s committed by an intimate partner (or former intimate partner) of the victim–but also when it’s committed by another household or family member.
What to Do
Above almost all other things, the most important thing for you to do is to not commit any additional violations. Even if you’re innocent of the assault or domestic violence charge, you’re going to have plenty of opportunities to complicate your case. Keep reading for important tips on how to navigate the tightrope you’ve found yourself on.
No-Contact Orders
If a no-contact order is issued with the purpose of preventing you from communicating with the alleged victim, any verbal, written, or even third-party contact with the alleged victim on your part is a whole additional crime.
When the dust settles and the no-contact order expires, maybe you can work to repair your relationship with the alleged victim (if you even want to). But until then, any kind of communication with them–even through an intermediary–will hurt your chances. That’s your chances both of having a favorable outcome in court and of repairing the relationship.
Hire a Lawyer
The other thing to make sure you do right away is hire an experienced domestic violence attorney. A good lawyer can help get your case or no-contact order dismissed, coach you on pre-verdict conduct, and make sure the prosecutor plays fair with you.
Especially in a case where public sentiment will likely be against you, it’s imperative that you don’t try to go it alone and represent yourself. For the sake of your relationships and future, reach out to Verity Criminal Defense as fast as possible to get a free case review.