On behalf of Law Offices of Kathleen G. Alvarado posted in criminal law on Friday, November 23, 2018.
A previous post on this blog talked about how a conviction related to domestic violence can hurt a parent’s chances of having custody over their children and may even affect their ability to see their children without supervision. This is so even if the alleged incident did not involve children in any way.
Custody problems are unfortunately just one of many potential consequences of a domestic violence conviction. A conviction can also spell hefty fines of over $1,000 as well as months or even years in jail.
Even if these sorts of penalties are not on the table, after a conviction, a person may be subject to a restrictive protection order. They may also have to attend, at their expense, anger management or substance abuse counseling, as well as a formal program aimed at preventing further domestic violence.
Additionally, there may be other collateral consequences of a domestic violence conviction. Even with respect to one-time misdemeanor offenses, society as a whole takes domestic violence very seriously and thus can tend to be punitive toward those convicted of such crimes.
For this and other reasons, our law office is committed to providing a vigorous and informed criminal defense for our Riverside clients who have been accused of domestic violence in criminal court. Our approach is first of all to listen to our client’s version of events, as these cases often hinge around the word of two people, the alleged victim and the accused.
After that, we conduct a thorough investigation of the other available evidence and also explore any legal defenses that may be available. As a result of our investigation, we may be able to negotiate for significantly reduced charges or even a dismissal of the case. We are also fully prepared to go to trial.