If you are charged with domestic violence in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, or Glendale, you face severe penalties, including jail time, mandatory counseling, restricted child visitation rights, and even limited Second Amendment rights. In addition to legal penalties, if you are charged with domestic violence you will likely face permanent social stigma even if you are later found innocent, and you could even lose your job. If you are charged with or being investigated for domestic violence, contact a Phoenix criminal defense lawyer immediately.
What Is Domestic Violence?
In Phoenix, domestic violence is not just a crime that occurs between a husband and a wife. Arizona’s domestic violence laws are written very broadly, and define domestic violence as a crime involving any act or threat of violence against any person with whom the accused has or had an intimate relationship. This can include current or former spouses, parents, children, grandparents, in-laws, romantic partners, or anyone who lives in your household.
There are many different kinds of acts which can result in a Phoenix domestic violence charge, such as: assault, child abuse, disorderly conduct, endangerment, harassment, sexual assault, stalking, threatening and intimidating, and trespassing. Furthermore, under Arizona law, domestic violence crimes can be committed against a third party or a piece of property if they are committed with the intent of intimidating or harassing a person with whom the accused has or had an intimate relationship, like threatening one’s in-laws.
How Can a Phoenix Criminal Defense Lawyer Defend Me Against Domestic Violence?
An experienced Phoenix criminal defense lawyer can defend you against domestic violence charges in several ways. At Arizona Lawyers, we know that it is unfortunately very common for many alleged victims to deliberately make false accusations. In particular, this tends to happen during divorces and child custody disputes. In these situations, our experienced domestic violence defense attorneys will identify inconsistencies between the accuser’s claims and witness accounts and police records. We also have extensive knowledge of Arizona domestic violence law, and can argue that the state has not met its burden of proof in your case.
We may also be able to show that another person was responsible for your accuser’s abuse, such as by showing you were not at the scene of the alleged abuse. Many times, accusers are in abusive relationships with other individuals, and can be pressured by their abuser into making a false report against a previous partner. Additionally, our experienced domestic violence defense attorneys know that many charges of domestic violence are actually the result of a defendant acting in self-defense or to defend others, like their children. In these cases, we will vigorously argue that you were not the initial aggressor, but rather that you reasonably believed there was an imminent threat of harm to you or others and acted upon that fear.
Charged With Domestic Violence?
At the Arizona Lawyers firm, we know that a domestic violence charge carries serious, long-lasting consequences. While abuse in any relationship is unacceptable, we believe that you are innocent until proven guilty, and know that unfortunately, not every charge of domestic violence is true. If you are charged with or being investigated for domestic violence in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, or Glenndale, contact the Arizona Lawyers immediately.