The Alabama legislature, state and local law enforcement are taking domestic violence increasingly seriously. In the last few years the state has passed laws increasing the punishment for conviction for this crime.
Some Domestic Violence offenses are now felonies carrying prison sentences. Also, upon a conviction for domestic violence, you may lose your constitutional right to own a firearm. I cannot tell you how often I have dealt with appeals for people who went before the judge believing that their case was not a big deal who ended up with a 90-day sentence in the city jail. Judges are looking to make an example of people accused of Domestic Violence. Do not make the mistake of trying to deal with this on your own.
Felony Domestic Violence
A Felony Domestic Violence charge is a new statute in Alabama and has made some cases even more serious. Now some domestic violence cases which would otherwise be dealt with in district courts are felonies. You should take any allegation of domestic violence seriously but even more so now, since some cases could land you time in the State penitentiary.
No Contact Orders
If you are accused of Domestic Violence, your bond conditions will nearly always include a No Contact Order. This means that you can have no contact whatsoever with the alleged victim. You can’t call or text them, talk to them, or contact them through Facebook. This can be a real hardship since, in domestic cases, defendants and complaining witnesses often live in the same house, share the same bed and have kids together. It doesn’t matter if the alleged victim doesn’t want the no contact order. It doesn’t matter if they want the charges dropped. It doesn’t matter if the victim is the one doing the contacting. If the cops find out, it will be the defendant who goes to jail. Violations of those orders can result in new criminal charges. These orders can be lifted and modified, but you need to contact a lawyer to help you do it.
Call us now at 251.626.5052 or send us a note. We’ll help you sort out the issues in your case and get you some help.
