Prince George’s County Domestic Violence Penalties

The term Prince George’s County domestic violence penalties covers the various offenses that are categorized as family violent crimes. There is no such charge as domestic violence because it is considered a criminal offense category.

It is charged primarily as second-degree assault, which carries up to ten years’ incarceration and/or a $2,500 fine. Should you face this type of consequence for your family violence offense charge, contact an experienced domestic violence lawyer.

Long-Term Consequences of Family Violence Convictions

Someone convicted of domestic violence will have a crime of violence in their record and can be precluded from ever owning or possessing a firearm.

A record of that nature will cause issues for licenses, not only driver’s licenses but even professional licenses. It could create problems for someone looking for housing.

Besides the fact that they may be placed on probation for a period of time, they have to go for supervision and other costly expenses. Long term, this will stay with them for years to come.

What are Enhanced Penalties?

A way that Prince George’s County domestic violence penalties can be aggravated is if there is a severe injury or weapon involved. It does not have to be a knife or a gun to be considered a dangerous weapon.

A second-degree assault can be considered a first-degree felony assault, which carries 25 years of prison potentially. Someone could be a convicted felon if found guilty and would likely be exposed to far more incarceration upon a finding of guilt.

What can make a bad case worse is if other charges appear such as a prior history of domestic violence, if there is a protective order that has been violated, if there is a weapon involved, or if there has been serious severe injury. Then the standard second-degree assault charge becomes far worse and the likelihood of incarceration, including the length of incarceration, is drastically increased.

Impact of a Civil Protection Order

If there is a protective order in place and that protective order is violated, it is a separate charge. It does not affect the second-degree assault or anything else, but it does add more charges to what a person is facing if the order was in place at the time of the offense.

Speaking with a Domestic Violence Criminal Lawyer

There are numerous reasons why an attorney could be helpful when someone is facing Prince George’s County domestic violence penalties. If someone is arrested, an attorney can help them get released.

Oftentimes, evidence such as videos could be purged, meaning, steps must be steps taken to make sure that it is protected and saved. Witnesses can be interviewed and that should be done immediately, because witnesses’ memories fade over time. If one delays too long, they may lose valuable information.

Having an attorney from the very outset creates protections for an individual so that the things tied to the process that are essential are maintained.