What penalties will I face if I plead guilty or am convicted at trial on a domestic violence charge?
Most domestic violence charges are misdemeanors. If you’re found guilty of a domestic violence misdemeanor, the court will have jurisdiction over you for one year. Meaning one year in the county jail, or probation, a combination of the two, but no more than one year. You could also face a fine of up to $1,000. Now, what happens to you after trial depends upon a number of things.
What is your criminal history? Is this your first offense? What type of violence was perpetrated? How strong was the state attorney’s case? How strong was your defense? Are there other factors that we can use to mitigate the penalties, such as bringing in character witnesses after the trial to explain to the judge that this would be an extraordinary circumstance?
There is no one size fits all after trial, but your attorney, doing their job well, should prepare for the trial. Hopefully, a not guilty verdict comes back. In the event that it doesn’t, your attorney should have a backup plan to make sure that you’re not held in jail for an extraordinary length of time.
