Whether you are a victim of domestic violence or accused of domestic violence in Florida, the domestic violence attorneys at Richardson Law group can help. The team is lead by an experienced Prosecutor who knows both sides of the law as it relates to these criminal charges.

Contact the domestic violence attorneys at Richardson Law Group now for more guidance on your situation.  Call 305-570-2271.

Domestic Violence is a violent confrontation between family members; between two people in a relationship who live together; or who live apart but share a mutual child, or who are divorced, or who at one time lived together.

It can happen between a father and daughter, mother and son, an adult child and an elderly parent, but most often it occurs between a couple living together, married or not, with the woman being the victim in the majority of the cases.

In some cases, weapons are used, sometimes property is damaged, but commonly, the abusive partner in the relationship causes injuries using physical force.

Domestic violence criminal charges are filed against a defendant by the State Attorney for the following reasons:

• The police officers who responded to the emergency call believed that a crime against a domestic relative had been committed. They wrote this information in a report and sent it to the State Attorney’s Domestic Violence Division with a request that the defendant be prosecuted for breaking the law.
• A prosecutor read this police report and also believed that a crime against a domestic relative had been committed.
• If the defendant has a criminal history including acts of violence against a domestic relative or others, a computer printout of this information was reviewed and attached to the case file.
• If photographs were taken by the police, at the time of the incident, showing injuries and/or damage to property, these were studied and included in the case file.
• If a 911 emergency call was made, the prosecutor ordered a tape-recorded copy of that call from the law enforcement agency, listened to it, and made it part of the case file.
• Any written information provided by someone to the State Attorney’s Office detailing the immediate case and also any past abuse against a domestic relative by the defendant is also made a part of the case file.

If the case goes to trial, all of the above information will be used as evidence in the courtroom to prove that the defendant is guilty of the charges filed by the State Attorney’s Office. This will be in addition to the live testimony of the police officers who responded to the 911 emergency call, as well as any witnesses to the incident.

The Office of the State Attorney has a specially trained staff of attorneys, a criminal investigator, victim advocates and support staff assigned to prosecute misdemeanor domestic violence cases.

In this case, a defendant should hire a criminal defense attorney before going before a judge. It is unusual for first-time domestic violence offenders to go to jail for a misdemeanor offense. First-time offenders are generally ordered by the court to enroll in a batterers counseling program. They are also placed on probation for one year and ordered by the judge not to break any more laws. The judge will follow up and require the defendant to show proof of enrollment and completion of a batterers counseling program. If the defendant does not do what the judge orders, then the judge has the power to send the defendant to jail.