Can you defend yourself against domestic violence charges?

On Behalf of | Nov 22, 2022 | Assault/Domestic violence

Domestic violence is a serious crime that crosses all societal and cultural lines. In fact, statistics show that one in four women, and one in ten men, have experienced domestic violence at some point in their lives. With those figures, it is easy to understand why courts take charges like this so seriously. What does that mean for you if you have been wrongly accused?

There are options to defend yourself against the charges.

Were you defending yourself?

If you acknowledge that the incident occurred, but you were not the aggressor, you may be able to claim self-defense. This is most effective when you have witnesses, evidence or a pattern of behavior to reinforce that claim.

Is someone else to blame?

Sometimes, fear of an abuser prevents someone from accurately identifying who was responsible for an injury. You may find yourself wrongly accused by someone in your life as a result. If someone else was the aggressor and you can prove it, that is often a reasonable defense.

Does the accuser have the motivation to lie?

It is a sad fact that some domestic violence accusers fabricate claims for revenge purposes. If your accuser made the false accusations out of spite, you may be able to use that in your defense.

A domestic violence conviction will make it difficult to find work, rent a home and go about your daily life. These are a few of the ways that you can fight the charges, but you may have other options as well.