Connecticut Criminal Lawyer Blog
In this blog, I am going to give you five things to do if you have been arrested for a domestic violence crime in Connecticut. Domestic violence arrests are more common than any other kind of arrest. This is because there is a mandatory arrest statute for all domestic violence crimes that require the police to make an arrest when they find probable cause that a domestic violence crime has occurred. There are a lot of very effective ways to defend domestic violence allegations. It is essential from the moment that you are arrested not to make the situation worse. Here are five things you can do to help improve your situation.
- Be Prepared For Your Next Day Arraignment in Court
In every domestic violence case, there is a mandatory next day arrangement where orders of protection will issue against you. At this court date, you will have your first meeting with the office of family relations, and they will make a recommendation about the order of protection. The big question is what kind of order will be entered by the court. If you live in the same home with the victim or have minor children in common, these orders of protection can be of huge importance. It would be best if you never went into court without consulting with an attorney first. While sometimes it may be challenging to find an attorney on such short notice, you should at least have a consultation with an attorney and review your options for the arraignment. Too many domestic violence clients wind up getting arrested and then amble into court the next morning and hope for the best. This is not the best practice. It is advised that you seek legal counsel and prepare for your meeting with the office of family relations and arraignment.
2. Stay off Social Media
These days everyone is on social media. It can be a fantastic platform. I recommend that anyone who has been arrested in a domestic violence case stay off all social media 100%. There are many reasons for this. The most important is that everything you say on social media is an admission that can be used against you in court. Secondly, if the victim of the alleged crime is also on social media, you can be charged with a violation of a criminal order of protection. It is simply not worth the risk. Finally, it is generally best not to fan the flames and let the situation calm down. Posting on social media is not in your best interest.
3. Obey Orders Of Protection
In every domestic violence case, there is going to be some level of an order of protection issued to protect the victim. I can’t overemphasize the importance of fully obeying all orders of protection. Any violation of any order of protection is a felony and will make the defense of your domestic violence case so much more difficult. Besides, the court will make any violation of any order of protection very seriously. Often the court will raise your bond much higher.
In many situations, victims will contact the accused to initiate contact. Victims are permitted to contact you. When there is a no-contact order, you are not allowed to contact the victim even if the victim contacts you first. It is not a defense to a violation of an order of protection that the victim initiated or requested the contact. Do yourself a favor and carefully go over the terms of your order of protection with an experienced domestic violence defense attorney. Listen to your lawyer’s advice and don’t make your situation worse by violating the orders.
4. Consider Anger Management Counseling
If you plan on saving your relationship with the alleged victim, I recommend that you consider participating in some individual anger management therapy sessions. Regardless of who was at fault for the arrest in most situations, everyone can benefit from anger management therapy. While this therapy can help you learn ways to avoid conflicts in your relationship in the future, it can also be of enormous assistance in helping to achieve a more favorable result in your case. Statistics show that domestic violence offenders who seek anger management or substance abuse therapy are 87% less likely to experience recidivism. Participation in anger management therapy can help convince the state’s attorney and the court that you are taking the matter seriously and are less likely to offend again in the future.
5. Hire an Experienced Domestic Violence Defense Attorney
Domestic violence allegations have serious consequences these days. As evidenced by the NFL and MLB policies towards domestic violence allegations, a player who is merely accused of a domestic violence incident faces suspensions. These days any domestic violence conviction or a pending accusation would make any job search very difficult. Given the high stakes, you need to take the situation very seriously. The first thing you should do when arrested for a domestic violence crime is to speak with an attorney with experience defending domestic violence accusations. While most domestic violence accusations are concluded with a favorable resolution, from the moment you are arrested, it is essential to get good legal advice.
If you would like to discuss your domestic violence case with Attorney Friedman feel free to call him 24/7 at (203) 357-5555 or contact him here, for a free initial case consultation.
