Domestic violence and abuse can lead to charges that have a heavy impact on your life. If you’ve been in an argument with someone you care about and you’ve now been charged, you’re probably shocked that you have to defend yourself. The truth is that any time someone calls the police when an argument or violence takes place, the authorities have to investigate. Many times, they will take someone into custody after doing a quick search for proof of an attack in the home.
Not all alleged evidence is actually proof of a domestic violence issue in the home, but the authorities do move quickly during these cases. That means that false accusations are more likely to occur, and that can soil your good name.
It’s important to defend yourself if you’re arrested for an alleged assault in your home. It’s not surprising that arguments get out of hand, but there is a major difference between a typical argument and a physical brawl. In fact, there are five kinds of domestic violence charges you could have to defend yourself against once a claim is made against you.
The five kinds, psychological, physical, sexual, emotional, and economic abuse, can be proved, but some are more difficult to prove than others. For instance, if the alleged victim claims you hit her, then she should have bruising or other injuries. If she doesn’t, then it can be easy to show that the allegation is false. It’s harder to prove that psychological or emotional abuse has not taken place, although you can request an expert psychologist or psychiatrist to investigate and talk to the alleged victim.
Our website has more information on domestic violence and what you can do if you’ve been named as a criminal. You have every right to fight back and protect yourself.