domestic violence defense

Published on: September 15, 2024

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 battery, criminal threats, or other charges, it’s important not just to address the immediate crisis, but to understand the emotions that may have led to this moment. Doing so may help you prevent future incidents and improve your personal relationships.

Understanding Resentment and Bitterness

Resentment and bitterness are emotional responses that often arise from a sense of being wronged, mistreated, or unappreciated. These feelings can accumulate over time, particularly if they are not addressed or resolved. Resentment often stems from unmet expectations, perceived injustices, or feelings of powerlessness. Bitterness, on the other hand, is what happens when resentment is allowed to linger and grow.

Published on: May 24, 2021

Biggest Domestic Violence Stories of the 2020s (So Far)

by Michael Kraut

Despite increased legal penalties, more social programs, more advocacy outlets, and efforts to increase awareness, domestic violence continues to be a significant issue in our world. In fact, one in three women across the globe (and about 1 in 10 men) suffer domestic abuse at some point in their lives—leading to fragmented families, traumatized loved ones, and lasting psychological and physical damage.

That being said, knowledge is power. By studying both the standpoint of current trends and individual occurrences, we gain more knowledge that may one day help us curb this destructive force in people’s lives and families. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the more significant news stories about domestic violence so far this decade to see what we can learn from them.

Pandemic Causes Worldwide Surge in Domestic Violence

Published on: October 28, 2020

Red Flags: Warning Signs that Could Lead to a Domestic Violence Arrest

by Michael Kraut

Domestic violence is more common in America than anyone is comfortable admitting. The latest estimates from the CDC say 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men suffer from some form of intimate partner violence. And over the past few months, reports across the board have consistently told us that domestic violence rates are increasing dramatically due to the pandemic. That’s enough to categorize domestic violence as a public health crisis.

And yet, it’s a public health crisis that is one-hundred percent preventable.

Domestic violence doesn’t happen arbitrarily or in a vacuum. No one simply wakes up in the morning, randomly decides to become violent with their partner, and finds themselves under arrest by evening. There are almost always warning signs or “red flags” that usually occur in advance of an altercation that ends with domestic violence charges. If you can see these red flags and take preventative action early, you can save yourself and your family a lot of pain, heartache, and stress. Let’s talk about some of these “red flags” and what you can do to reduce the risks.

Published on: August 28, 2020

Los Angeles Programs and Resources for Families at Risk for Domestic Violence

by Michael Kraut

Domestic violence rarely takes place in a vacuum. Long before law enforcement gets involved and makes an arrest, there are usually underlying factors at work in the household that create conditions that are just primed for an argument or escalating tensions to get out of hand. These risk factors can include things like stress, emotional turmoil, mental illness, substance abuse, financial worries, and a slew of other possible issues.

During this ongoing pandemic, families are continuing to spend lots of time at home or in quarantine. That fact alone can put the family at higher risk for those underlying factors to eventually erupt into violence. The specific issues may be different in every household. Still, if you can identify these factors and find constructive ways to deal with them, you can often break the cycle of escalation and make your family safer at home.

To help with this process, we’ve compiled a list of programs and resources available to Los Angeles-area residents. Some of these resources are government-funded and operated, while others may be private organizations—and this is by no means an exhaustive list. But if you believe your family could be at heightened risk, this list will hopefully provide a starting point to get the help you need.

Published on: June 24, 2020

Domestic Violence in the News: COVID-19 Edition

by Michael Kraut

During the weeks and months of quarantine across the country as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the sometimes-startling upticks in domestic violence cases have been well-documented across the country. A few weeks ago, we posted a blog discussing the rise in DV cases and exploring the various contributing factors (including increased stress, unemployment, close proximity, etc.). Even as life and work resume for many of us (including here in California), the recent spikes in COVID-19 may eventually spark more lockdowns—and possibly additional hotbed situations where increased domestic violence may occur.

Now that we’re several months into this pandemic, let’s take another snapshot of this issue by looking at some of the more recent news stories regarding domestic violence and coronavirus.

Possible Increase in Unreported Domestic Violence Cases in L.A.

Published on: February 24, 2020

Moving Past Domestic Violence Charges—Making the New Decade Better than the Last

by Michael Kraut

Few things in life can have a more profound negative impact on a family than domestic violence. Even being charged with DV, regardless of guilt or innocence, can deeply disrupt your world and leave lasting repercussions long after the fact.

But here’s the good news: These events don’t have to define the rest of your life. No matter how bad the circumstances, by acting and living with purpose going forward, you can move past those domestic violence charges and begin making your world better. The start of a new year and new decade affords a perfect opportunity to put the past in your rearview mirror. Let’s discuss some practical ways for you to prevent the bad things of the previous decade from following you into the 2020s.

Refuse to See Yourself as a Victim

Published on: December 19, 2019

Overview of California Domestic Violence Laws

by Michael Kraut

If we were to time-travel back several decades, we’d see a time in America when domestic violence was “winked at” by our culture. Couples fight, we’d reason to ourselves, and sometimes they hit each other. Incidents of violence in the home were difficult to prove, and law enforcement got involved only reluctantly. Patterns of ongoing abuse would go largely unchecked behind closed doors, largely because most cases were never reported.

Fast-forward to today, and it’s a much different story, especially in states like California, which has led the way in enacting stricter laws and penalties against domestic violence. California today has one of the most expansive and strictest sets of laws intended to protect the victims and prevent patterns of domestic abuse. That said, the laws have become so focused on protecting the victims that unfortunately, sometimes honest misunderstandings get classified as crimes, and innocent people get caught in the crossfire. Simply being accused of domestic violence can cause a person to be arrested, forced from their home and blocked from seeing their children at least until the accusations are sorted out. Even a misdemeanor conviction comes with mandatory jail time, loss of gun rights and other penalties. The victims do, in fact, receive much-needed protection, but for the accused, it’s never been more critical to have an experienced attorney to ensure a fair defense.

If you have recently been arrested for, or charged with, suspected domestic violence, it’s more important than ever to know what you’re up against. The following overview should help provide context regarding the most common charges and what constitutes domestic violence in this state.

Published on: October 22, 2019

Finding Resilience After a Domestic Violence Arrest

by Michael Kraut

When you have been arrested on charges of domestic violence—regardless of guilt or innocence—it can seem like time has stood still. Between the possible fracturing of your family and the lurking uncertainty of a trial, you may feel as though life itself has come to a screeching halt.

But whatever the outcome of your charges, at some point this situation will be in the past. Life will move forward, and you’ll have the opportunity to put this setback in the rearview mirror. How you choose to move forward can make all the difference between whether you recover along with your family, or whether (heaven forbid) you wind up back in this situation. To that end, we’ve curated some helpful advice from several professionals coming from a diversity of perspectives on coming back from a personal failure, difficult situation or fracturing life event. Their insights may help you find a map to becoming your best self in the days ahead.

Dr. Roopleen on Bouncing Back After Failure

Published on: June 26, 2018

Domestic Violence in Same Sex Relationships: A Journalistic Investigation

by Michael Kraut

When we think about domestic violence, by default most of us picture a man as the perpetrator and a woman as the victim. Indeed, this image has been largely programmed into our minds by cultural stereotypes of women as the “weaker sex.” While the majority of reported instances of DV are committed against women, the actual numbers suggest the imbalance isn’t as broad as we think. (According to the NCADV, 1 in 3 women are victims of some form of physical violence by a partner, compared to 1 in 4 men.)

However, another variable—once virtually ignored—may be playing into these statistics in a greater way than anyone had previously realized. Recent research shows that domestic violence within same-sex relationships may actually be more prevalent than in heterosexual relationships. Perhaps even more surprising: Female same-sex relationships may suffer higher rates of violence than their male counterparts.en, the actual numbers suggest the imbalance isn’t as broad as we think. (According to the NCADV, 1 in 3 women are victims of some form of physical violence by a partner, compared to 1 in 4 men.)

However, another variable—once virtually ignored—may be playing into these statistics in a greater way than anyone had previously realized. Recent research shows that domestic violence within same-sex relationships may actually be more prevalent than in heterosexual relationships. Perhaps even more surprising: Female same-sex relationships may suffer higher rates of violence than their male counterparts.

Published on: February 19, 2018

Domestic Violence Crimes in California: A Quick Catalogue

by Michael Kraut

California law is decidedly severe when it comes to crimes of domestic violence—to the point that even being charged with a DV offense should evoke a sense of fear. Whether you are guilty or wrongfully accused, if a bad situation at home results in being charged with a crime, you should be as informed as possible about each charge, and its possible penalties, so you know what to expect and how to be prepared.

To that end, we’ve compiled the following catalogue of some of the more common domestic violence crimes, as defined by the California Penal Code.

Corporal Injury on a Spouse or Cohabitant