Defending Against Prince William County Domestic Violence Charges

While the prospect of facing domestic violence allegations could be overwhelming, an accused person is typically afforded certain rights to protect themselves. Individuals who are seeking help with defending against Prince William County domestic violence charges could speak to an accomplished domestic violence attorney. Legal counsel could help you learn your rights and legal options.

How a Person Could Protect Themselves from Allegations of Domestic Abuse

The most immediate thing an accused could do when defending against Prince William County domestic violence charges is to preserve and acquire any evidence within their control that supports their innocence. That typically includes pictures or copies of communication between the accused and the accuser and the observations of potential witnesses who were present during the alleged abuse. The next best thing an accused could do to protect themselves from an allegation is to engage the services of a domestic violence attorney who could begin to develop a defense strategy against the charges, and secure important evidence that the prosecution may have in its possession or under its control.

Consequences of a Criminal Charge

Domestic violence cases are could become very serious inconvenient to litigate. They carry more potential short-term and long-term consequences that affect an accused’s daily life than most other types of criminal cases and could range from misdemeanors up to high felonies. They also tend to be extremely emotional for the parties and may result in even more charges being brought during the pendency of the underlying case. These consequences are typically accompanied by the potential for the accused to be held in jail for long periods even before the trial occurs. If someone is charged with subsequent domestic violence offenses after being convicted in the past of the same or similar offenses, there could be notable penalty enhancements in the new prosecution. On nearly every front that matters in a criminal case, it is important for a person to prepare a thorough domestic violence defense by consulting with an experienced criminal defense attorney.

Potential Evidence the Attorney Could Compile for the Defendant

A criminal defense attorney could work to compile many forms of evidence when defending a person against Prince William County domestic violence charges. Common types of evidence that could be useful to a domestic violence defense may include:

• Recordings of phone and social media communications
• Photographs taken around the date of the alleged offense of people and places involved in the case
• Recorded statements of the parties in the case documented in 911 calls
• Police reports
• Criminal complaints
• Body camera footage from arresting officers
• Testimony from third-party witnesses familiar with the facts or relationships in the case
• Documentation showing enrollments in or completion of rehabilitative domestic violence programs

Reach out to a Prince William County Domestic Violence Attorney

Defense attorneys could reveal a portion of their evidence during negotiations before trial to determine its impact on the prosecution. While the Virginia Rules of Evidence make most types of evidence fairly difficult to admit at trial if the prosecution objects to it, the prosecution could be persuaded to agree to the admissibility of certain defense evidence. This is called a “stipulation,” in exchange for avoiding defense continuances or perhaps in exchange for reciprocal stipulations to prosecutorial evidence. Learn how an attorney could help with defending against Prince William County domestic violence charges by calling today.