Domestic Violence False Accusations in Prince George’s County

False accusations of domestic violence in Prince George’s County are often made out of anger and out of resentment. It is not even always completely fabricated. Very frequently there is an incident and the allegations are exaggerated or blown out of proportion. With a small altercation, all of a sudden it is a life-or-death situation where someone is sitting in jail without bond when it is just a minor offense and the person would be released. Therefore, it can be vital to speak with a skilled family violence attorney about your case and the alleged incident you were accused of.

Why Domestic Violence False Accusations Are Made

There is a multitude of reasons for false accusations of domestic violence in Prince George’s County. Sometimes, there are anger, resentment, and infidelity issues. It can also be brutality when a person files charges to their victim and they file a response to get back. There are various reasons that compel somebody to do so and that is frequently seen in domestic violence situations.

The courts and the legislature have systems that make it very easy for somebody to file charges so that alleged victims can seek help easily and efficiently. Otherwise, crimes would often go unreported and victims would go without help, because of the difficulty. Because of that system, it is prone to abuses.

Individuals can oftentimes press charges easily that are fabricated or exaggerated just to make somebody else suffer or to get back at them. If somebody else wants to file charges, an individual cannot prevent it, but they can protect themselves along the way as best as they can by having an attorney at their side through the entirety of the process.

Steps to Take to Maintain Innocence

The person always maintains their innocence. The only thing they can do to undermine that is to make confessions or speak to the police to admit to the contrary. Having an attorney can help argue and present proper evidence and history that supports the presumption of innocence. Still, the defendant has nothing to prove. At trial, it is the state’s burden of proof to prove guilt, not the defendant’s to prove innocence. To undermine the state’s case is the goal, not necessarily to prove anything on the defense side.

The consequences are that a person convicted will have a criminal record, one of a crime of violence that can carry them through various ownerships including from gun ownership to difficulty obtaining employment, finding housing, being put on probation, and supervision. The accused could be forced to submit to alcohol testing, treatment, or drug testing or required to stay away from certain parties and not return to a home, to a business, or to a place. It can be very oppressive both for the short term and long term.

Understanding the Role of an Attorney

The prosecutor is responsible for getting all of the evidence to the defense. However, it is not impossible for the defense to lack information. Oftentimes, there is a witness or other record that the prosecutor does not know about or does not exist. That is incumbent upon the defense attorney to seek out the evidence that may help exonerate or defend against false accusations of domestic violence in Prince George’s County.

The type of evidence dictates the appropriate method of introducing the evidence. If it is testimony, then a lawyer brings in a witness. If it is a record or report, then they provide the records and introduce them in the proper foundational way. If it is a video or photograph, those also must be met in order for a jury or judge to see them and be able to consider them.