During any marriage or romantic connection, difficulties or disagreements can arise. When these disputes harm your significant other, the police may get involved and charge you with a crime. If this sounds familiar, you may need a skilled Sunrise spousal abuse lawyer to help you navigate the legal system and put forth the best defense to meet the charges against you.
To begin discussing the details of your offense, reach out to one of our defense attorneys at Leifert & Leifert today. We can take time to review the details of your case and help you build a defense strategy fit for your case. Call today to schedule a consultation.
What Types of Behaviors Would be Considered Spousal Abuse?
Abusive behavior against a spouse or partner may take many forms – emotional, physical, sexual, or financial – and may cover a wide range of activities from punching, slapping, hitting to sexual assault and rape to intimidation, stalking, and threats.
According to the law, spousal abuse may also include the following acts:
- Assault
- Battery
- Sexual assaults and abuse
- Stalking
- Kidnapping
- False imprisonment
- Any illegal act causing physical injury or death
After an altercation, one or both of the parties may regret how the events played out, but if the police respond to a domestic violence call, they often arrest and charge the presumed aggressor. Once filed, it can be tough to get charges dropped, even if the alleged victim changes their mind, realizes they overreacted, or refuses to press charges. It may take the skill and knowledge of a local spousal abuse litigator to protect an accused individual from a false complaint or an overzealous prosecutor.
Severity of a Spousal Abuse Charge
Florida takes spousal abuse very seriously, and so should anyone facing such allegations. Being charged with an illegal, violent act toward one’s partner can impact a person’s family, job, finances, and freedom. The negative consequences start immediately upon being arrested, so the sooner a suspect reaches out to an experienced criminal litigator in this area, the better.
Florida law establishes relatively short jail terms for violence against one’s partner. Additional and more significant incarceration penalties may be ordered, depending on the particular act in question, such as assault or rape. The penalties imposed may increase further if a child witnesses the incident or the accused has committed prior violent acts against their partner.
If convicted, defendants must also pay for and attend a mandatory “batterers’ intervention program”, which runs a minimum of 29 weeks. Sentencing may also order the offender to stay away from family members, to forfeit their rights to own a gun, and, if they are undocumented, to face deportation.
The Benefit of Experienced Counsel
In addition to advocating for charged individuals to secure an acquittal or minimize penalties, local spousal violence attorneys address other pre-trial steps in the legal process that are equally important. For example, the court has the power to order an alleged assailant to avoid certain family members as a condition of making bond or in response to the spouse’s request for an injunction. If ordered, this situation may result in the accused not being able to return home or see their children. This condition could also hamper any ability at reconciliation with the spouse.
These hearings can be tricky because statements and evidence presented may be used against the alleged perpetrator later at trial in the spousal abuse case. Working with a litigator acquainted with partner abuse proceedings may allow the accused to avoid such pitfalls.
Additionally, an attorney often discusses the case with prosecutors before trial. Defense counsel may succeed in working out a deal for lesser charges or have the case dropped entirely by relying on their knowledge of the law, understanding of the legal system, and familiarity with the situation.
Get in Touch with a Sunrise Spousal Abuse Attorney Today
Allegations of abusing your partner can completely derail your life. So, it is Crucial to protect your future by retaining a defense team committed to the best possible outcome. Our Sunrise spousal abuse lawyers know the system and are committed to defending your rights. Do not wait another minute to ask for help, reach out to one of our trusted and experienced attorneys at Leifert & Leifert for professional guidance.
