People facing a charge for domestic violence should not rely on what they think is common knowledge about this area of the law. There are a lot of widespread myths about domestic violence.
Placing too much reliance on falsehoods about criminal charges could prevent people from giving them the attention that they deserve. Here are some misconceptions about charges for domestic violence to consider.
Courts do not take domestic violence against men seriously
Women may be the aggressor in an abusive relationship. Courts do not readily dismiss allegations from male domestic violence victims or impose lighter consequences for women.
There cannot be a case without physical evidence of abuse
Testimony may be sufficient to support domestic violence charges. It is not necessary that there are photographs or medical records about a physical injury in order for a case to proceed.
An alleged victim can drop the charges
In all domestic violence cases, the state is the party pressing charges against the accused. An accuser cannot stop criminal proceedings by dropping charges. Once a person makes a complaint to law enforcement or police have responded to a domestic incident, the state and not an alleged victim determines whether charges proceed.
After an arrest for a criminal charge of any nature, people need to set aside from fact fiction when they are considering what they are up against and forming an action plan. Getting clarity about the process ahead and logistics of defending oneself in court can make an inherently stressful situation more navigable.