Jacksonville Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

Jacksonville Domestic Violence Accusations are very serious charges. What do you do when you have been accused of Domestic Violence? How do you defend yourself when someone has accused you of domestic violence in Jacksonville, Florida?

1. If someone accuses you of domestic violence, you need to watch what you say. In many cases, when the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office responds to a domestic dispute, someone ends up going to jail. You do not want your words to be misconstrued and used against you.   
2. If you have been arrested for Jacksonville Domestic Battery, you will go before a judge for first appearance court.  Here, you will (a) receive a bond or (b) accept a plea deal.  The majority of the time, accepting a plea deal is one of the worse things that you can do.  Usually, the Jacksonville Domestic Battery Sentence will include extensive probation and you will not be able to get the charge sealed.  It is best to discuss the case with a lawyer (Jacksonville Domestic Violence Attorney, Cynthia Veintemillas) before doing anything.  
3. If you are served with a Jacksonville Restraining Order (Jacksonville Injunction), go to the hearing and be well-prepared.  You should hire an attorney that understands the law surrounding Jacksonville Restraining Orders.  In order for an alleged domestic violence victim to obtain a restraining order, he or she must prove certain things.  Quite often, the evidence is insufficient, so you must properly attack the Jacksonville domestic violence allegation. That why it is important to have a Jacksonville Injunction Lawyer (Jacksonville Injunction Attorney, Cynthia Veintemillas) that has experience not only in defending against the injunctions being issued, but that has also petitioned courts to have injunctions issued and that has defended against criminal violations of injunctions.  
4. Do not speak to the alleged victim or make any contact with this person.  If you have been charged with Jacksonville Domestic Battery and have been released on a bond, you could violated a "No Contact Order" which is a condition of that bond.  If a temporary or permanent injunction for protection against domestic violence has been issued against you, you will violate it, even if the alleged victim tries to contact you.  

As Jacksonville Florida Domestic Violence Attorney, I have seen cases where restraining orders (injunctions for protection against violence) are needed and cases when the are abused.  Not every person that files for an restraining order needs one.  Sometimes, people petition for an injunction against for protection against violence as a tool.  For example, I represented a man (John) for a violation of a domestic violence injunction in Jacksonville, Florida.  The alleged victim (Jody) was his girlfriend.  They had a "love-hate" relationship.  Before I met John, Jody had a restraining order issued against him in Jacksonville, Florida (Duval County).  After the injunction was issued, they worked things out and moved in together.  On day, the couple had an argument, and she called the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.  John was arrested for Violation of an Injunction for Protection Against Violence.  He taken to the Duval County Jail in Jacksonville Florida.  The prosecutor filed charges against him and pursued the case.