Steps to Take When You Are Facing Domestic Violence Assault Charges

Were you recently arrested for and charged with domestic violence assault? If so, it is critical to have a clear understanding of the charges you are facing and to do everything you can to avoid having a domestic violence criminal conviction on your record. If you are convicted of a domestic violence offense, the consequences can be significantly more serious than the consequences for the same offense without the “domestic violence” enhancement. What are the steps that you should take right now? Consider the following from our Denver domestic violence defense attorneys.

1. Understand the Charges You Are Facing

When you are facing domestic violence assault charges, the specific offense that you are facing will be an underlying assault charge with a “domestic violence” enhancement. In other words, you will be facing one of Colorado’s specific assault charges for first-degree, second-degree, or third-degree assault with the domestic violence enhancement because the offense involved a person with whom you are or were in an “intimate relationship.”

Under Colorado law, an “intimate relationship” is a term that “means a relationship between spouses, former spouses, past or present unmarried couples, or persons who are both the parents of the same child regardless of whether the persons have been married or have lived together at any time.”

In Colorado, third-degree assault is the least serious type of assault charge, and it is still on its own a serious Class 1 misdemeanor offense that can result in up to 24 months in jail. Both second-degree assault and third-degree assault are felony offenses, even without the domestic violence enhancement. Each type of assault charge in Colorado involves causing injury with a deadly weapon.

2. Seek Legal Advice from a Defense Lawyer Who Handles Domestic Violence Cases 

Next, and as soon as possible after your arrest, it is essential to seek legal advice from a Colorado domestic violence defense lawyer and to hire a lawyer who can represent you.

3. Begin Working on a Defense Strategy with Your Attorney

Once you have an attorney on your side, you will need to begin working on a defense strategy that is tailored to the specific facts of your case. Depending upon the circumstances, your defense strategy may involve working to prove that you are innocent and should not be convicted of any domestic violence offense, or it may involve your lawyer negotiating a plea with the prosecutor for conviction of a lesser offense.

Contact a Denver Domestic Violence Defense Attorney for Help with the Assault Allegations Against You 

Are you facing any type of domestic violence charges? If so, it is important to keep in mind that this is not an ordinary assault or harassment charge. You are facing charges that involve a domestic violence enhancement, and the consequences of a conviction can be extremely serious and long-lasting. It is important to begin working with an experienced Denver domestic violence defense lawyer at DeChant Law as soon as possible to develop a defense strategy for your case. Contact our firm today to learn more about how we can assist you with your domestic violence defense in Colorado.

Source:

law.justia.com/codes/colorado/title-18/article-6/part-8/section-18-6-801/