Jacksonville Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

In my practice as a Jacksonville Domestic Violence Attorney, I have seen many men that were the true "victims" in domestic violence cases. Quite often, a woman will become violent with the man. In some cases, the man must defend himself from her. However, if the police come to the door, they may listen to both stories, but they end up arresting the man or both of them for Jacksonville Domestic Battery. This is based upon the premise and stereotype that men are the abusers in a relationship, but this is not always the case.

A recent U.S. study surveyed 11,000 men and women. This study "found that according to both men's and women's accounts, 50 percent of the violence in their relationships was reciprocal (involving both parties). In those cases, the women were more likely to have been the first to strike. Moreover, when the violence was one-sided, both women and men said that women were the perpetrators about 70 percent of the time." For an great example of such a situtation, read "No One Believed Me: When Men Are Victims of Domestic Violence" by Glenn Sacks, M.A. and Ned Holstein, M.D.

Jacksonville, Florida is no different from the rest of the country. Jacksonville residents are arrested for alleging abusing their girlfriends or wives that do not deserve to be. That is why it is important to address every Jacksonville domestic violence case with an open mind, and not succumb to stereotypes.

A Jacksonville Domestic Battery charge is one of the worse misdemeanors that a person can be charged with in Florida.  Most misdemeanors do not carry a mandatory sentence.  However, Domestic Battery and Driving Under the Influence (DUI) carry a mandatory probation sentence.  Under Florida Statute Section 741.281, if a person is either adjudicated guilty of the offense or the adjudication is withheld, he or she must attend the Batterers' Intervention Program (BIP).  While this does not sound too difficult, it can be.  BIP is a six month program and can be very expensive.  It begins with a $30 fee that is due at orientation.  Then, the student must pay $65 for a evaluation.  After that, he or she must attend six months of classes that occur once a week.  These classes can range anywhere from $10 to $50 depending on the student's income.  The defendant is placed on probation to complete BIP.  The probation office charges approximately $60 a month for the cost of supervision.  Not to mention, court costs are almost $1000. Thus, the costs can really add up.