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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Addiction and domestic violence are two complex issues that, unfortunately, often intersect–and more often than you might think. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that as many as 55 percent of all domestic abuse incidents occur after the perpetrator was drinking–and surveys of domestic violence victims suggest that number is…