If you’ve recently been arrested in California for domestic battery, making criminal threats, or other forms of domestic violence, you may be asking a question that is remarkably common among domestic violence defendants: “How did I get here?” In reality, even if you are aware you crossed a line, you…
Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney Blog
Domestic Violence: Can a Medical Condition Trigger Violent Behavior?
Facing a charge of domestic violence can be a bewildering and distressing experience, especially if you’re uncertain about what caused your actions. It may seem like what happened was entirely out of character for you, perhaps as though an invisible force had taken control. Maybe this has happened to you…
Taming Impulsive Behaviors that Can Cause Domestic Violence
While some domestic violence stems from systematic patterns of abuse in the perpetrator, for others, the underlying forces aren’t as straightforward. It may be surprising to discover that many acts of domestic violence occur on impulse–simply acting in the heat of the moment without thinking. Perhaps you’re in such a…
Understanding Resentment and Bitterness and How They Can Lead to Violence
Resentment and bitterness are powerful emotions that can fester and grow if left unchecked. For those accused of domestic violence, these emotions can often be at the heart of the problem, driving behaviors that lead to destructive actions. If you are facing criminal charges for domestic violence crimes like domestic…
When California Law Enforcement Violates Your Rights During a Domestic Violence Arrest
The State of California has some of the most stringent laws in the nation for protecting domestic violence victims–and this translates into aggressive policies when it comes to law enforcement. Police officers responding to domestic violence calls are trained to act swiftly and decisively. For instance, under California law, if…
Alternative Therapies to Help Domestic Violence Victims and Perpetrators
While the laws of California deal primarily with identifying and stopping cycles of domestic violence (as well as punishing offenders), its resources for dealing with the root causes or healing the trauma of domestic violence extend only so far. Granted, they make a decent attempt by informing victims of available…
What Happens After I Am Arrested for Domestic Violence in California?
California is known for having some of the strictest domestic violence laws in the nation. If you find yourself arrested for domestic violence–whether it’s for simple domestic battery or something more serious like criminal threats or corporal injury–there’s a high probability that you will spend some time behind bars, even…
Do I Need an Attorney if I’m Charged With Domestic Violence in California?
Facing a domestic violence charge in California can be a deeply unsettling and even frightening experience. The immediate whirlwind of legal complexities and the potential for life-altering consequences might leave you overwhelmed and uncertain about the future. Even so, perhaps in your mind, this is just a misunderstanding of an…
Domestic Violence Charges: When Your Accuser Declines to Testify
When family disagreements escalate into accusations of domestic violence, it’s not uncommon for the accusing partner to have a change of heart after the fact and decide not to press charges or testify. If you’re the one accused, this may seem like good news at first–but in California, it does…
When Self-Defense Leads to Domestic Violence Charges
Domestic violence doesn’t occur in a vacuum; physical contact is rarely a one-way street where the assailant attacks while the victim does nothing. Our instinct is to respond physically to defend ourselves against an attacker, sometimes to the point of striking back accordingly. However, in California, when police respond to…