Hire an Experienced Domestic Violence Defense Attorney to Prevent a Domestic Violence Conviction

         The issue of domestic violence has taken center stage in the news lately due to the recent domestic violence arrests and public exposure of NFL football players.  The recent publicity highlights how widespread this issue is in the community and how it crosses all social and economic lines in society.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States each minute 24 people are victims of violence from domestic partners.  According to statistics kept by the RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence during 2013, Rhode Island law enforcement received 7,930 domestic violence related calls and made 5,437 domestic violence arrests.  Clearly, Rhode Islanders are not spared from the crime of domestic violence.

Today, the police do not take any chances with domestic assault and domestic violence cases.  If the police are summoned to a domestic violence call, almost certainly somebody is getting arrested.   An arrest on a domestic violence case will have a long lasting and immense effect on a person's life.  Many times a parent will be barred from going to their own home because of a non-contact that a judge has issued in the case. Some judges will not vacate the non-contact order until the case is completed.  A  non-contact order often leads to financial strain as well as strain on the family.

If you, a loved one or a friend, have been arrested for the crime of domestic violence, do not hesitate to contact an experienced domestic violence defense attorney.  The state of Rhode Island has enacted harsh laws with respect to the crime of domestic violence, known as the Domestic Violence Prevention Act.  These laws consider a wide range of crimes to be domestic violence crimes if they are committed by a family or household member.  Additionally, the definition of a family member or household member is broad and includes individuals involved in a variety of relationships.

           The penalties of a conviction for domestic violence in Rhode Island are severe and the disposition received in a first domestic violence charge will have an effect on future charges. Rhode Island domestic violence laws require mandatory jail sentences for second and third convictions for the charge of domestic violence.   Conviction for a second domestic violence charge requires imprisonment for a term of not less than 10 days and not more than 1 year.  A third domestic violence conviction is considered a felony and requires imprisonment of between 1 and 10 years.  In addition to imprisonment, no contact orders, counseling, prohibition from possession of a firearm, and deportation for non-citizens are imposed by the Court. This is why it is so important to fight your first domestic charge and not wait until you are charged again.  One domestic charge often leads to others for a host of reasons. First and foremost the non-contact order that is issued at the sentencing will for lead to future violations. Second, one of the parties will have a criminal record for domestic violence and the police will not hesitate to arrest you a second time for the slightest incident.

       Please do not take any charge of domestic violence lightly.  Call an experienced domestic violence defense attorney to begin work on your domestic violence case to prevent a conviction.  If you would like to read further information on the crime of domestic violence within the Rhode Island criminal justice system, please refer to my website: www.http://rhodeislanddefenselawyer.com/