Howard County Domestic Violence Penalties
Domestic violence charges are taken very seriously by Howard County law enforcement and have serious implications for those convicted. Overall, domestic violence is a category of offenses that includes crimes such as violating a protective order, reckless endangerment, and assault.
Depending on the specific offense, penalties can be serious carrying serious fines and potentially jail time as well. With this in mind, it is imperative to seek the counsel of an experienced Howard County domestic violence lawyer as soon as possible to help defend against these penalties and mitigate any other consequences as much as possible.
Penalties Associated with Domestic Violence
There are a wide range of penalties someone may face depending on the specific offense they are accused of. For example, second-degree assault in the domestic violence context can carry up to 10 years incarceration and a $2,500 fine while first-degree assault could carry up to 25 years imprisonment.
For the violation of a protective order, an individual could be facing up to a year in prison in addition to not be allowed to go to certain locations or communicate with certain individuals. If an individual has a civil protection order and they violates it, that is a separate charge. However, it does not change the nature of a second second-degree that carries what it carries.
Long-Term Effects
Having a conviction for a crime of violence is certainly problematic. There is a social stigma attached to it if the community you live in knows one was convicted of domestic violence which can be devastating.
Additionally, this will affect someone applying for a job, gun rights and even their right to vote. If he or she wants to move into a housing development or a community, oftentimes, they could be rejected by virtue of having these types of offenses on the record.
Aggravating Factors
One of the key points is the accuser’s attitude during the case. If the accuser comes forward and is honest about the situation and wants to work something out, the charges will be less drastic. However, if the accuser tells the judge and prosecution that the defendant has been abusing them for years, the results of the case will be far worse. Looking at the nature and details of the offense are crucial when building a defense.
Building a Defense
Domestic violence is not a small offense and it is a crime of violence that can carry serious consequences. For this reason, an experienced Howard County attorney must be called immediately both to help in the immediate consequences because the person could require a lawyer’s help with the bail review phase in getting released. Additionally, it could require an attorney in the communications, in dealing with a lot of collateral issues and to get whatever evidence there is and build a defense from the beginning because the stakes are so high.