Visalia, California, Spousal Abuse

In Visalia, California, when law enforcement officials arrive to the scene of a domestic violence disturbance, the officers will essentially always arrest the abusive person. While many people might think that the suspect in these specific cases are always male, this is simply not the case. In fact, police officers have recently started to see more and more female defendant's in spousal abuse cases. Once an arresting officers arrives to the scene of the crime and deem that the alleged victim is under clear and present danger, the officer will generally grant an Emergency Protective Order against the defendant.

California Penal Code 234(e)(1)

Because there are varying degrees of domestic violence offenses in the Visalia, California, law enforcement officials must be able to use their trained judgment in order to correctly charge a suspect. More common than any other charge, California Penal Code 243 (e)(1) is typically issued for specific situations that involve domestic battery where the suspect consciously uses violent force against their significant other. In regards to California Penal Code 234(e)(1), the term significant other can be used to describe both heterosexual and homosexual relationships as both are considered to be the same under the California law.

The Difference Between Penal Code 243(e)(1) and other Penal Codes

Different than other domestic violence offenses, California Penal Code 243(e)(1) is the least serious and is always considered to be a misdemeanor offense. Because the law is viewed to be a less serious crime, women are also commonly known to be charged for this wrongdoing. Once a suspect has been accused of domestic abuse under California Penal Code 243 (e)(1), he or she can be convicted of the crime even if there was no physical injury. For any cases that do involve bodily harm, the state of California might decide to seek additional convictions under Penal Code 243 (d) and Penal Code 273,5. It's important to know that both of these charges carry much stronger penalties.

Strongest Penalties for California Penal Code 243 (e)(1)

Carrying the lightest domestic violence penalties in Visalia, California, violating California Penal Code 243 (e)(1) can only result in a misdemeanor offense with the potential consequences including a one year jail sentence, informal probation for no longer than 3 years and a fine of up to $2,000. Additionally, a Visalia, California court might require the defendant to complete a domestic violence program while also donating money to certain men or women's shelters and paying for the victims therapy, legal costs and any other relative expenses.

California Penal Code 273.5 - Corporal Injury

Also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, domestic violence corporal injury and spousal battery, California Penal Code 273.5 is much more serious than Penal Code 243 (e)(1). While men are typically perceived to be the only ones that are charged with this crime, it's important to know that women can be charged as well. In fact, there has been an unprecedented amount of female charges within the past several years. Because of the stiffer penalties, anyone in Visalia, California, that has been accused of violating Penal Code 273.5 can be charged with either a misdemeanor or felony depending on the case specifics. Different than many other crimes, once an investigation has started under California Penal Code 273.5, victims no longer can drop the charges. If you are a women that has been charged with this specific form of domestic violence, you should anticipate that prosecutors will seek maximum penalties regardless of whether or not he victim has reversed any previous statements.

How does a California Penal Code 273.5 arrest occur?

Generally occurring after a loud altercation turns into a physical fight, domestic violence can happen to anyone. While the altercation is taking place, either the victim or a witness will call the dispute in to the police. At this point, the police will show up to the scene and take a statement from the potential victim. Should a police officer see any sign of injury during the initial investigation, he or she will begin documenting the injury by taking pictures of the victims injuries. Once the evidence has been collected, despite the seriousness of the injury, it can be extremely difficult to have the charges dismissed under California Penal Code 273.5.

California Penal Code 273.5 Violation Penalties

Depending on whether or not you're convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, the penalties for violating this law in Visalia , California can have varying levels of consequences. A felony count of California Penal Code 273.5 will depend on the severity of the victims injuries, the defendant's criminal background and his or her history of violence.

When charged with a misdemeanor, you will be faced with:

• Up to a year in county jail
• A restraining order
• Up to three years of probation
• Community service
• Abuse and mental counseling
• Arranged payments to domestic violence organizations
• Weekly or monthly payments to the victim
• Up to 6,000 in fines

A felony charge could result in:

• Up to four years in prison
• Five additional years in prison if extreme bodily harm has been caused
• Probation
• Abuse therapy
• Community service
• Mental counseling
• Payments to the victim and domestic violence victims.

False Charges

False charges of California Penal Code 273.5 are much more common than you might think. Whether it's because of revenge, out of anger or a misunderstanding, many significant other's are frequently wrongfully charged for domestic violence. Often times, the victim will feel guilty for making the false claim and will try to reverse his or her comments in order to make things right. Unfortunately, at this point, it's too late to stop the charges once the investigation has started. It's important to remember that both men and women can make poor decisions when an intense domestic dispute takes place. Because of this and the negative consequences that can occur, you should never physically act when you are overemotional.

Contact the Visalia criminal defense lawyer at the firm if you have been charged or are being investigated in Fresno of Visalia for criminal offenses today.

About the Author: Christopher Martens is an attorney at the Law Offices of Christopher Martens at CMLawGroup. Naturally this article is connected to Christopher's Google+ profile.