A Domestic Violence Attorney Can Protect Your Rights

Being accused of a domestic violence offense in Florida is a serious event, and if a person is convicted, the results can change a person’s life profoundly. If you have been accused of this type of crime, it is pivotal to enlist the right attorney to represent you in court, to ensure that your side of the story is properly heard. It is all too easy for courts to throw the proverbial book at anyone accused of this type of crime, but you are entitled to your day in court.

Broad Leeway To Bring Charges

Florida’s domestic violence statute defines this type of crime as any “criminal defense resulting in injury or death,” if committed against a person who has a particular kind of relationship to the perpetrator. Those who are “family or household member[s]” qualify – not only spouses, but also ex-spouses, unmarried co-parents, and anyone who is or was living with the perpetrator “as a family.”

This statute gives the state fairly broad leeway, and given that domestic violence can adversely affect society as a whole, the state is not shy about charging people if the facts warrant doing so. It can sometimes be a shock for a person to face a domestic violence charge after this kind of dispute, particularly if they are unaware that “family or household members” qualify under this law and not just spouses.

Let Your Attorney Speak For You

If you have been charged with a crime of domestic violence, it is understandable that your first instinct may be to defend yourself – to talk to police without an attorney present or even to try and talk to your alleged victim. However, it is generally not a good idea to do this – and an attorney can help you strike the right balance of trying to be cooperative with law enforcement while not incriminating yourself.

In addition, an attorney will generally better understand the odds of prevailing in court, and know the right angles at which to attack the state’s case. A domestic violence case is a criminal matter, which means that if they can establish reasonable doubt, you cannot be found guilty of the offense. There are many different ways to cast doubt on evidence, and the right attorney can do that effectively.

Contact A West Palm Beach Domestic Violence Defense Attorney

If you have been charged with a domestic violence offense in Florida, your emotions may run the gamut from shock to anger to fear. A West Palm Beach criminal defense attorney from Perlet & Shiner, P.A. can help to handle some of the load. Call our office today at (561) 721-0552 to speak to an attorney.

Source:

.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0741/Sections/0741.28.html