A person charged with domestic violence should contact an attorney immediately because domestic violence is a serious charge that carries significant penalties and long-term repercussions. These consequences include active jail time, probation, and expensive fines. Those charged with domestic violence are cut no breaks by the legal system.
Domestic violence is an intimate crime. The court system wants to make sure that that it is not happening on a regular basis. As such, repeat offenders are punished appropriately.
If you are facing Virginia domestic violence penalties, you should contact an attorney today. A seasoned domestic violence lawyer could advocate for you and possibly help you reach a favorable outcome to your case.
The most common crime of domestic violence in Virginia is domestic assault and battery, which is a Class 1 misdemeanor. Class 1 misdemeanors are punishable by up to 12 months in jail, up to a $2,500 fine, or a combination thereof. Additional crimes that are crimes of domestic violence may include abduction, strangulation, unlawful wounding, malicious wounding, and aggravated malicious wounding. All of these are serious felony offenses and carry much more serious penalties, but every possible crime of domestic violence in Virginia does carry a possibility of active incarceration. Therefore, individuals facing domestic violence penalties in Virginia should obtain a lawyer right away.
Depending on the nature of the charge, whether it is a simple assault or a more serious aggravated assault, there may be long-term consequences of a domestic assault charge in Virginia. The long-term consequences are loss of firearm rights, potential loss of employment, and loss of housing situations. With a domestic violence charge, there could be civil problems like divorce and child custody issues. Another potential long-term consequence is difficulty finding employment. For example, if someone does a background check and they see a person has been convicted of a crime of domestic violence, it is a liability for someone to have them in a workplace environment.
The most common aggravating factors in domestic violence cases are repeat offenses. This is because the person has done it before and they did not learn their lesson. The severity of the conduct is also a significant aggravating factor as well as any criminal history. Do they have other crimes of violence? Do they have property offenses? Have they shown a disdain for following the law previously?
Enhanced penalties for crimes of domestic violence include prison time, registry offenses, and no-contact provisions. Those domestic violence penalties generally come up in the context of more serious felony offenses.
When someone is under a civil protection order and they are charged for violating it, it could have its own separate connotation and penalties. They could be charged with violating a civil protection.
Virginia domestic violence penalties may include jail time, probation, fines, and other repercussions. If you have been charged with domestic violence, you should consult with an experienced defense attorney today. Let a dedicated legal professional fight for you.
Northern Virginia Criminal Defense Group
