how to get better attorney for domestic violence case?

by Craig Corwin 3 min read

Start with a simple Google search for local attorneys who handle domestic violence cases. The first two or three pages or Google results should give you enough hits. Keep in mind, the more professional the website, the more professional the attorney.

Full Answer

What does it mean to successfully prosecute domestic violence?

Apr 10, 2018 · Experience. It seems obvious, but you’ll want a lawyer with extensive experience handling domestic violence cases, preferably someone who has argued both sides, prosecution and defense. This is very important, as choosing a cheaper cost over experience is an excellent way to lose your case.

How do I get an assault family violence lawyer in Texas?

Mar 25, 2020 · Inform your attorney: of the names, ages, addresses, and school addresses of your children. that you would like the exchange to take place in a neutral setting if your abuser wants visitation. what days and times would work best for you and your children, for visitation.

What happens if there is no evidence of domestic violence?

Feb 21, 2022 · In case, he is charged with this crime, then you must be prepared to work very closely along with the police while they investigate it. Ultimately, you have to go to court for testifying. On the other hand, if you are the accused and charged with such domestic violence case, then you will need a successful defense and hence an attorney can help ...

What are the reasons for the dismissal of a domestic violence case?

Don’t face a domestic violence charge alone. Call the experienced and reliable criminal defense attorney Lisa Pelosi right away for a sound defense. Call or Text 917-670-7063

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What do domestic violence victims need?

Domestic violence victims need information, respect, advocacy, and lawyers equipped to stand beside them with real understanding. Be that lawyer. Victims of domestic violence are often quite similar in their need for information , respect, advocacy, and lawyers equipped to stand beside them with real understanding.

How many times can a woman leave an abusive relationship?

On average, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, a woman will leave an abusive situation seven times before she leaves for good.

What is the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act?

The Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017 includes new initiatives to root out financial elder abuse and exploitation – from financially abusive family members, or from criminals targetting the elderly. Drawing the Line Between Corporal Punishment and Child Abuse.

Is corporal punishment permissible?

States around the country are drawing the line between permissible and excessive corporal punishment in different places. Regardless of where that line is drawn, in high-conflict custody cases, there is always a danger that one parent could accuse the other of child abuse to try to get a leg up in litigation.

Who is the attorney for domestic violence?

The Law Office Of Lisa Pelosi. If the police have been called in your domestic violence situation, call the criminal defense attorney Lisa Pelosi right away. If assault, sexual abuse, or strangulation are involved, it is even more crucial that you have legal representation.

How long do you go to jail for domestic violence?

If convicted of these charges, you could be facing a B felony or as low as a misdemeanor with a sentence of jail time or up to 25 years in prison. In many situations, a domestic violence call is made after an argument turns physical.

Can a divorce be based on violence?

Therefore, the prosecutor is left trying to prove violence based on either evidence of an attack, a past history of abuse, or witnesses to the violence, either neighbors or relatives.

Do domestic violence cases go to trial?

Domestic violence cases don’t often make it to trial, but it is still important to have legal assistance. If you find yourself in a similar situation, it is imperative that you call a criminal defense attorney right away.

What is second degree assault?

Second-degree assault is when the defendant intends to cause injury to their partner and hurts them using either a deadly weapon or harmful instrument. Sexual abuse is forcing your partner into a sexual act without their consent. First-degree strangulation, a class C felony, is restricting your partner’s breathing.

What is a class C felony?

First-degree strangulation, a class C felony, is restricting your partner’s breathing. Whether any of these acts were done intentionally or not, you could be facing serious criminal charges, jail time, fines, or more, not to mention the negative effects these charges could have on your life and finances. Having a criminal defense attorney on your ...

Is domestic violence a criminal charge?

When a domestic violence call has been made to the police, they are required to make an arrest. But again, domestic violence is not a criminal charge unless there is also assault, harassment, and/or stalking involved.

What is the alternative charge for domestic violence?

The alternative charge that is appropriate for most domestic violence charges is Title 21 O.S. § 644(C) – Domestic Assault and Battery -Second or Subsequent Offense. This give the jury a fall back felony charge when they cannot agree on a more specific charge such as Domestic Assault and Battery by Strangulation or Domestic Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon. Whether or not to use this tactic is a judgement call. The range of punishment may vary greatly. However, if the range of punishment is up to Life on both charges, using an “in the alternative” tactic is a way to give the jury an out if they don’t want to go for the more serious charge.

How is domestic violence different from other crimes?

More often than not, the victim will be unwilling to testify against the loved one that has hurt them . As a result, law enforcement and prosecutors must be vigilant in their efforts to hold these abusers accountable for their actions. On those occasions that the victim does agree to testify, they fear that the case will “just be he said she said.” This leaves these victims feeling vulnerable and alone. Knowing that the victims will not want to participate, it is imperative that cases involving domestic violence are investigated and prosecuted working with the obstacles in mind and not against them.

What is evidence based prosecution?

There are many different ways to prove that a crime of domestic violence occurred without relying on victim participation. Requesting and using the evidence is key.

Who is Mary Walters?

Mary E. Walters is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Law. She is currently an Assistant District Attorney for the Oklahoma District Attorney’s Council presently assigned to the Oklahoma District 12, which consists of Rogers County, Mayes County and Craig County. She personally prosecutes all felony and misdemeanor domestic violence offenses committed within Rogers County. She advises prosecutors throughout the district on effective prosecution of domestic violence cases. She is a member of the Rogers County Coordinated Community Response Team (CCRT). Prior to working for District 12, she was a prosecutor with Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. During her six year career as a prosecutor, she has prosecuted crimes ranging from juvenile deprived and delinquent cases all the way to misdemeanors and general felony crimes including but not limited to offenses against children and women. While working as prosecutor for the Tulsa District Attorney’s Office, she was the lead domestic violence prosecutor responsible for making the felony domestic violence filing decisions for all of the offenses that occurred in Tulsa County. She specializes in Evidence Based Investigation and Prosecution of cases involving domestic violence as well as instructs law enforcement and prosecutors in this area. Her writings have been published in nationally circulated journals relating to domestic violence, she has given multi-disciplinary presentations on domestic violence prosecution and advocacy, and has been asked to meet with a production crew to film video trainings for the Oklahoma District Attorney Council on domestic violence.

How does strangulation work?

The crime itself is achieved by cutting off the air OR blood flow to the brain of the victim by the abuser. This can be achieved by applying pressure to the neck OR chest of the victim by the abuser. The victim can lose consciousness, have trouble breathing or even urinate on themselves. Often times the neck does not appear to have any signs of injury. The eyes of the victim could have petechiae (red spots) but not required in order to have an incident of strangulation. Evidence of strangulation also includes a sore throat in the days following the abuse. Death of the victim can occur up to 72 hours following the strangulation. The victim can also suffer from the residual effects of strangulation such as heart issues and blood clots. The charge applies to both strangulation AND attempted strangulation (see jury instruction – OUJI 4-26D). It is not necessary to charge “attempted” strangulation.

Who must inform the victim of a crime involving domestic violence of certain rights afforded to them by law?

Both the District Attorney’s Office and responding law enforcement agency must inform the victim of a crime involving domestic violence of certain rights afforded to them by law.

Can a victim appear after the State rested its case?

It is not uncommon for the victim to appear after the State has rested its case in order to testify for the Defendant. Use the evidence that has been presented at trial to debunk the story that the victim is not giving at trial. If the victim met with the persecutor and another person (hopefully an advocate or another prosecutor) call that person as rebuttal to impeach the victim.

How to get an assault case dropped?

This may come as a surprising step in how to get your assault case dropped; You need to dress in a suit, with a tie for every single court setting . Ladies, you need to dress in a conservative suit as well. Cover tattoos with clothing or tattoo cover cream. Remove facial piercings. Dress like you are an executive every time you show up to court. You may have to appear for court 12 times before your case is dismissed. Every single time, your appearance should be totally professional. Many people may say that it only matters how you look when you are at your jury trial. I disagree. I have gotten more dismissals for clients who dress well than for those who don’t. The prosecutors sometimes look directly at my clients, when I am negotiating the case during pretrial conferences. The prosecutors are people. They want to win their trials, just like defense attorneys do. They know that defendants who dress like executives are less likely to be perceived by a jury as criminals.

What to do if the police ignore your side of the story?

Provide your own Record – If the police ignored your side of the story and didn’t write in their report what really happened, be proactive and make a record of it yourself. Writing down what happened is useful for many reasons. Your memory will be more fresh closer to the incident than latter. A trial might not happen many months so this written record will be helpful for your attorney in preparing your defense.

Why is it important to file a subpoena?

For instance, the lawyer can make a Motion for Discovery of Exculpatory Evidence, which would require the prosecutor to turn over and favorable evidence it has for you on your case. The lawyer should also file subpoenas so that all of the witnesses that are necessary will be timely notified of the trial setting. When prosecutors see that subpoenas and motions are filed, they also see that you are (at least somewhat) prepared for trial.

What happens if you revoke a bond?

Do not fail to call your bondsmen or to pay your bond. If your bondsmen revokes the bond, you will have a warrant for your arrest.

Do I need a lawyer?

Occasionally, the victim in a pending domestic violence matter may require the advice of an attorney. One circumstance in which the victim may wish to speak to an attorney is if the victim’s Fifth Amendment rights are implicated.

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Ms. Diego works with clients in the Denver metro area and beyond, including Boulder, Brighten, Broomfield, Castle Rock, Lakewood, Englewood, Aurora, White Ridge, Arvada, Westminster, Thornton, Northglenn, Fort Collins, and Colorado Springs.

What is willfulness in law?

What Is Willfulness? Willfulness is “…simply a purpose or willingness to commit the act… there is a defense for persons who commit the act through misfortune or by accident when it appears there was no evil design, intention or culpable negligence.”. 2.

What happens if a victim has a red mark on her cheek?

If the victim claims the defendant severely beat him or her just minutes before police arrived but he/she only has a small red mark on his/her cheek and no swelling or bruising or other apparent injuries, a defense attorney could argue that the victim was likely not telling the truth about the event.

What is traumatic condition?

The traumatic condition was the natural and probable consequence of the injury. The injury was a direct and substantial factor in causing the condition. For an aggravated domestic violence charge, the intimate partner must have suffered a serious bodily injury. No Willfulness. A prosecutor might feel that the element of “willfulness” is missing.

What is mental illness?

Mental illness. Making false accusations in the past, or. having a motive to fabricate the incident because the parties are embroiled in contentious custody or property distribution battle. This might convince a prosecutor that there is insufficient evidence to convict the defendant and to decline to file the charges.

What is a serious bodily injury?

A serious bodily injury usually means that the victim suffered an injury necessitating medical treatment or serious impairment of a physical condition. It is also protracted loss or impairment of any function of a bodily member or organ. Examples Include: Broken limb.

Does lack of visible injuries mean domestic battery?

The lack of visible injuries does not necessarily mean that a domestic battery did not occur and is not required in order for a defendant to be charged with domestic battery. All the prosecutor needs in order to charge you is evidence of a harmful or offensive touching.

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