Jacksonville Domestic Violence Attorney

If you are accused of domestic violence, you could face serious penalties and other consequences that could follow you around for the rest of your life. Even the accusation alone can be enough to harm your reputation and cause undue stress in both your personal and professional life.

It can be difficult to figure out what the right move is to defend your future. In order to protect yourself, follow these steps to handle the false accusations against you:

Understand what you’re up against.

One of the best things you can do for yourself when facing false accusations is to learn everything you can about the charges you were accused of.

Domestic violence is defined as threats or acts of physical abuse against a spouse, partner, family member, or anyone living in the same household. This may include mental or psychological abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, stalking, or written threats. These charges may be misdemeanors or felonies depending on the circumstances of each particular case.

Evaluate any evidence.

Chances are your accuser is gathering evidence against you. Did you text anything that could be construed as abusive? Was there a voicemail, email, phone call, picture, or any other type of physical evidence the accuser may have that they could use in court?

Think back on anything the alleged victim could try to use against you and establish what really happened to explain the truth behind the false accusations.

Build your defense.

Defend the accusations with evidence of your own. For example, if the victim sustained a bruise on his or her arm from a bicycling injury, but they claim it was from you, think of how you could disprove it.

If you rode with someone else who saw your accuser fall and sustain the injury, see if they will testify to what they saw. Or, if you went to the doctor and the accuser told a nurse the injury was from a bike ride, see if the nurse will provide you with a written statement.

Hire a domestic violence attorney.

You can do a lot to help your case, but nothing can replace the legal knowledge and experience of a Jacksonville domestic violence lawyer. At Owenby Law, P.A. our lawyers are dedicated to defending the rights of our clients throughout Florida and will work hard to ensure your freedoms are protected.

Penalties for Domestic Violence in Florida

A majority of domestic violence charges start out as misdemeanors. If you have a previous criminal history or are a police officer or member of the military, then a conviction of domestic violence could end your career. Even something as small as a scratch could be grounds for charges of domestic violence.

In addition, someone charged with domestic violence is not able to have his or her record sealed or expunged under Florida Law. If you are convicted, you may face a life-long criminal record.