Domestic Violence is a hot topic in the media due to professional athletes getting arrested for these charges without much consequence. Because of this unwanted attention prosecutors and Judges may react harshly and impose larger sentences for these cases in Central Florida.
Domestic Violence means that the victim in the case is a spouse, a boyfriend or girlfriend, or you have a child in common.
If a Battery charge is domestic it triggers a lot of special penalties and issues.
Those issues are that there is a mandatory conviction on your record, you cannot possess a firearm with most of these charges and you cannot get the case sealed even if you are not convicted but given a withhold of adjudication.
In addition to any penalties you may face such as jail time or probation you are also required to complete a 26 week batters intervention class which is timely and very expensive.
A big problem I encounter with these cases is the bond conditions which normally are no contact with the victim and no return to the home where the two parties live together. This causes undue restraint and burden on both parties. If you hire a lawyer early on we can normally get these bond restrictions lifted and attempt to get the charges dismissed prior to your first court date.
Domestic Violence in Florida is not a joke, if the cops are called 9 out of 10 times someone is going to jail whether there are injuries or not. If you find yourself in this situation call an attorney right away to preserve your rights.
