Have you been accused of domestic violence in Charles County, Maryland? Contact today Alpert Schreyer Criminal Defense Attorneys at (301) 857-4771 for a free consultation. Whether you’ve been arrested or have been formally charged with a crime, our Charles County domestic violence lawyers can intervene and fight to protect your future.
We fiercely defend the rights of the accused. We’re award-winning Maryland defense lawyers with over 125 years of combined experience and a proven ability to help our clients obtain favorable case results – including case dismissals, reduced charges, favorable pleas, and not-guilty verdicts at trial.
Why Choose Alpert Schreyer Criminal Defense Attorneys For Help if You’re Arrested on Domestic Violence Charges in Charles County, MD
Hiring a Charles County criminal defense attorney is the single best thing you can do if you’ve been charged with a crime of domestic violence. When you hire Alpert Schreyer Criminal Defense Attorneys, you put yourself on a playing field, force the prosecution to respect your rights, and significantly increase the likelihood of obtaining a favorable result.
Clients choose us because:
- Our domestic violence attorneys in Charles County, MD, are recognized for excellence in criminal law by Avvo, Martindale-Hubbell, Super Lawyers, Expert Network, and Lawyers of Extinction.
- We can offer the depth of knowledge, level of experience, and sheer resources you’ll need to defend yourself against serious criminal acts and limit the chances you’re punished with harsh fines, protective orders, and time behind bars.
- We’re here for you when you need us the most – 24/7/365.
We offer a free consultation, so do not hesitate to contact our law office for assistance today.
Understanding Maryland’s Domestic Violence Laws
There’s no one “domestic violence” law. Instead, charges for other crimes – like assault, battery, harassment, or stalking – are aggravated when the victim and defendant share a “domestic relationship.”
This includes:
- Spouses
- Former spouses
- Cohabitants or roommates
- Dating partners
- Biological, adoptive, or step-children
- Blood relatives
- In-laws
- Stepparents
So, you could face charges for a crime of domestic violence if you share a close relationship with the alleged victim.
What Types of Crimes Can Be Classified as “Crimes of Domestic Violence?”
Pursuant to Maryland law, crimes often associated with domestic violence include:
- Assault
- Rape
- Attempted rape
- Sexual contact with a minor
- False imprisonment
- Stalking
- Revenge porn
- Any act that causes serious bodily harm, and
- Any act that places a protected person in fear of imminent serious bodily harm.
Any act of child abuse can also qualify as an act of domestic violence in Maryland.
What Are the Penalties For Domestic Violence in Maryland?
Domestic violence charges are aggravated versions of serious crimes in Maryland. As a result, the potential consequences of a conviction are quite harsh. The penalties for domestic violence can vary significantly, depending on the specific charge, degree of harm suffered by the victim, and your criminal history.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the penalties that are most often seen in domestic violence cases in Charles County:
Probation
Probation is an alternative to incarceration, in which a defendant is required to maintain a clean criminal record and check in regularly with an assigned probation officer. While the specific requirements can vary from case to case, they often involve community service, abstaining from drugs and alcohol, maintaining steady employment, and attending counseling.
If you violate probation by breaking the judge’s rules, you risk much more severe penalties, such as jail time.
Domestic Violence Classes
Domestic violence classes require a defendant to seek counseling to help cope with underlying issues that may contribute to violent or harmful criminal behavior.
Fines and Restitution
A defendant can be ordered to pay fines to the state or restitution directly to a victim. Fines are a punishment to discourage similar conduct in the future, while restitution makes the victim whole by paying for domestic violence-related medical bills, lost wages, and property damage.
Domestic Violence Protective Orders
Domestic violence protective orders require a defendant to cease communication with an alleged victim and/or maintain a certain distance from them. These protective orders can be put into effect before an arrest is ever made or criminal charges are ever filed, or can be part of a defendant’s punishment.
Imprisonment
Certain crimes – like sexual offenses and violent criminal acts – carry the possibility of jail time and/or imprisonment. Misdemeanors can typically be punished with up to 12 months in a Charles County prison, while felony offenses can result in placement in a Maryland state prison for months, years, or decades.
Collateral Consequences
You’re not just facing criminal penalties. A domestic violence conviction can also ruin your reputation, cost you your job, affect custody and visitation, and affect you for the rest of your life. It’s critically important that you do everything you can to fight back against these allegations and mitigate the potential fallout.
Ultimately, the more serious the alleged crime is and the more severely a victim is harmed, the harsher the resulting penalties are likely to be. Aggravating factors – like prior convictions for the same or similar crimes or having a child witness a crime of domestic violence – can lead to harsher criminal penalties if convicted, too.
How Do I Defend Against Domestic Violence Charges in Charles County?
It’s important to know that there are several strategies that can be used to defend against domestic violence charges in Charles County. The defense strategy (or strategies) that might help you will depend on the specific facts and circumstances of your case – including police conduct, evidence handling, and the strength of the allegations raised against you.
Defenses that are commonly raised in criminal domestic violence cases include:
False Accusations
Sometimes heated arguments escalate to the point where a victim exaggerates what’s happened or falsely accuses a defendant of threats or violence. During our investigation, our domestic violence defense attorneys in Charles County will search for evidence that disproves the allegations against you.
This might include establishing an alibi, presenting character witnesses, pointing out holes in the victim’s claim, or dismantling the victim’s story during a deposition.
Violations of Your Constitutional Rights
If the police violated your Constitutional rights at any point in time, their bad actions can be used to get evidence dismissed or, in some cases, the charges against you dropped altogether. Our Charles County criminal defense attorneys will carefully review all of your interactions with the police and search for any indication that the state lacked the required standard of proof to make an arrest, search you or your belongings, or seize evidence.
We’ll also determine if your right to counsel or to remain silent was not respected.
Lack of Evidence
The state should need more than the victim’s testimony to convict. If prosecutors lack physical evidence, other witness statements, or circumstantial evidence to make their case, our attorneys can file a motion with the court to ask that the charges against you be dismissed. These arguments can often help to incentivize the prosecution to offer a lenient plea bargain.
Self Defense
Self-defense is an affirmative defense. You’ll admit that you did what you’re being accused of, but only to protect yourself and/or another person. We can argue that your actions were justified under the circumstances for your safety and well-being.
Consent
Consent means that the victim consented to participate in the conduct that’s now being argued as unlawful. For instance, if you’re charged with rape, you could argue that the victim agreed to have sex with you. Rape is only a crime when the sexual activity isn’t consensual. This can be tricky because consent can be fleeting.
Call an Experienced Charles County Domestic Violence Lawyer For a Free Consultation
Allegations of domestic violence in Charles County, MD, can have severe criminal, social, and financial consequences. When your future is on the line, there’s no time to waste before calling Alpert Schreyer Criminal Defense Attorneys for help fighting criminal charges.
Our Charles County domestic violence attorneys are ready to help you navigate this difficult time and fight for the best possible outcome in your case. We offer a free case review, so contact us at our law office today. Members of our team are here to take your call right now.