Domestic Violence Attorney

Have You Been Charged, Accused, Investigated or Arrested? 

Domestic violence charges include any battery or assault between family members or persons romantically involved, violations of injunctions or stay away orders, as well as charges related to stalking. Quite frequently, alleged victims of domestic violence decide that they do not want to press charges and wish to drop the case. Persons accused of domestic violence often mistakenly believe that because of this, they do not need an attorney. Nothing could be more incorrect.

Prosecutors regularly ignore the wishes of the victims in domestic violence-related offenses due to public policy concerns of preventing future violence, and a belief that the victims are usually financially dependent upon the alleged abuser. Special exceptions in the rules of evidence allow prosecutors to use 911 calls at trial as a substitute for the victim’s in court testimony if the victim becomes uncooperative.

A Closer Look at this Serious Offense & Sentencing. 

A person accused of even misdemeanor domestic violence charges cannot get out of jail until he or she first appears before a judge. This is true even if the person has a bail amount already set in their case. Judges often require the accused to be placed under house arrest with a GPS ankle monitor for the duration of the criminal case. In all domestic violence cases, the judge issues a “no contact order” to prevent the defendant from communicating with or physically approaching the alleged victim for the entirety of the criminal proceedings.

Frequently, these types of cases are accompanied by a separate civil injunction if the victim chooses to pursue an additional layer of protection from the courts. Domestic violence injunctions may be secured by an alleged victim of domestic violence even if there is no police involvement between the victim (called the petitioner) and the accused (called the respondent).

Domestic violence criminal charges and civil injunctions carry severe consequences, such as:

  • Job loss, especially if you are a government employee or hold any state or federal licenses, or security clearances
  • Immediate loss of rights to possess or purchase firearms
  • Serious immigration consequences, including deportation
  • Domestic violence convictions cannot be sealed or expunged
  • A misdemeanor domestic violence battery conviction can result in:
  • Up to a year in jail
  • A year of probation
  • Intense 6-month anger management program.
  • Harmful consequences to child custody and divorce matters.

Put 20+ Years’ Experience on Your Side

Attorney Thomas Mote has more than 20 years of experience as a domestic violence lawyer and has successfully assisted thousands of persons accused of criminal charges and civil injunctions related to domestic violence. Thomas Mote has the skills and experience necessary to protect your rights and defend your case.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute an attorney-client relationship.