Domestic Violence
-George Carlin-
"The other night, I ate at a real nice family restaurant. Every table had an argument going."
REPRESENTING YOUR SIDE OF THE STORY
Relationships are complicated
A domestic violence charge can ruin your reputation, derail your career, and tear apart your family. I have seen enough to know that more often than not either the allegations are false or what the “victim” is claiming happened is not the whole story. I have made it my mission to make sure the truth and your side of story can and will be heard.
What can start out as a simple argument can end with the police at your door- whether you called them or not. Cops have one goal when they get a domestic violence call, and it is not to investigate and find out what happened or deescalate- they charge and arrest one person as quickly as possible that way they can be on their way. Surprisingly this is often done against the wishes and over the objections of the alleged “victim.”
Whether you did it or didn’t do it does not matter. Our focus is keeping your career, your professional license, your relationship with your children, your family, and your way of life safe from the repercussions that come from a conviction for domestic violence. We have been able to get people the help they need to keep their family intact and to talk sense into spouses and loved ones. However, when you’re dealing with a vindictive, scorned, or angry person, sometimes peace is not an option, and we have to fight. We are good at that too. When it’s as important or as serious as your future call Kidder Criminal Defense.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES
FAQ
What about my Professional License?
If you have a medical or professional license such as a MD., PA., CRNA, RN., BSN., Psy. D, CNA, LCSW, or teachers license your license is on the line. Even having one of these charges pending- before you have had a day in court, will likely result in you losing your job and possibly even the revocation or suspension of your license. The medical boards, especially the nursing board, have investigators that will call you and they can be relentless. Do not make any statement to any licensing agency without first consulting an attorney. These allegations are serious, and your license needs the protection of an attorney that takes them seriously.
What about my job?
If you work with or around children, the elderly, the disabled, or in a medical setting there is a high probability that if your job finds out about the charges, they will either have to fire, or they will chose to fire you. Most larger and corporate business have policies on their books that will require that you be placed on leave and/or fired immediately even though you have not been convicted of any crime. I would recommend speaking with an attorney before talking to your employer, coworkers, or boss about your pending charges. Call Kidder Criminal Defense today and we can come up with a plan to protect your job, livelihood, and career.
It’s Just a Misdemeanor- I won’t lose my gun rights… right?
Wrong. The federal government has deemed anyone that has been convicted of a “Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence” as a prohibited person that is not allowed to lawfully carry, own, possess, or purchase firearms. See 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9). A conviction for Domestic Battery 1st , 2nd , or 3rd degree in the state of Arkansas will strip you of your right to own a gun. Even if your charge is less serious, I would never recommend one of my clients take anything on their record if it can be avoided- the government has demonstrated on numerous occasions that they don’t mind passing laws that turn people into criminals and take away their rights years later.
What is a No Contact Order?
In most cases when someone is arrested and charged with domestic violence the Judge will issue what is called a “No Contact Order”. What that generally means is that you are not allowed to contact, by any means, in person or electronically, the “victim” in your case. That means you cannot be with them, around them, or in contact with them in any way even if you’re using a third party go between. Many times, the No contact order will have your home address on it, and they may include more than just a spouse, girlfriend, or significant other, they may even include your children or other family members who were not even present or involved. These Orders are blunt instruments that often do not account for the realistic needs of people dealing with these cases. All of your clothes and property are at that address- What are you going to wear to work? Where are you going to sleep? Who is going to drive your kids to school? All of these are important questions that I am ready to help you answer and deal with.
There is a No Contact Order issued but my family member keeps calling and texting me… can I talk to them?
The short Answer is No…But its more complicated than that. If you’re the Defendant and you have the No Contact Order, then no you cannot legally respond without risking more charges, even if the “victim” is contacting you 100 times a day. If you are the “victim” you can legally contact the Defendant, but they cannot legally respond to you. The best way forward is to get the no contact order dropped or amended. The process to do that is complicated and it is different in every court. I would not recommend trying to get a no contact order dropped without the help of an attorney.