Domestic Violence Attorney in Santa Cruz, California

Under California laws, an individual may be charged with domestic violence for physically assaulting, abusing, threatening, harassing, or stalking a family, household member, or intimate partner. If convicted, the defendant could face a lengthy prison sentence, hefty fines, loss of firearms, a criminal record, a protective order, and other social ramifications. If you are facing domestic violence charges, you must retain a skilled California criminal defense attorney to strategize your defense.

At the Law Offices of Andrew C. Janecki, I have the experienced legal guidance and strong representation you need to face domestic violence charges. As your legal counsel, I can help evaluate all of the facts of your unique situation and seek to craft an effective defense strategy to fight the allegations against you. Using my extensive experience, I can help guide you through the legal proceedings from start to finish.

My firm – the Law Offices of Andrew C. Janecki – is proud to serve clients throughout Santa Cruz, Palo Alto, San Jose, San Francisco, and Berkeley, California.

Domestic Violence in California

Under California law (California Family Code Section 6211), "domestic violence" can be described as an "abuse" or threats of abuse perpetrated against any of the following parties:

• A current or former spouse

• A cohabitant or former cohabitant

• A person with whom the defendant is having or has had a dating or engagement relationship with

• A person with whom the defendant has had a child

• A child of the defendant

• Any other person related to the defendant

An experienced criminal defense lawyer can help evaluate all the surrounding facts of your unique situation and enlighten you about the general provisions of the law and what to expect.

General Provisions of the Law

According to California Family Code Section 6203, a person commits "abuse" when:

• Recklessly or knowingly cause or attempt to cause bodily injury or harm to another person

• Commits sexual assault

• Places someone else in reasonable fear of potential danger or serious bodily injury

• Exhibits behavior like stalking, threatening, hitting, harassing, disturbing someone's peace, or destroying a person's personal property.

Apart from physical assault or abuse, domestic abuse may be psychological, emotional, or verbal through spoken words. A skilled attorney can enlighten you about the possible consequences and penalties of a domestic violence conviction and determine your best defense strategy.

Possible Consequences and Penalties

In the State of California, domestic violence crimes usually carry serious and possibly life-changing implications. Depending on the severity of the offense and other mitigating circumstances, being convicted of a domestic violence crime could potentially result in any of the following penalties and consequences:

• Prison sentences (ranging from months or years)

• Hefty fines

• Probation

• Community service

• A criminal record/history

• Loss of firearm and gun carry rights

• Domestic violence protective or restraining order may be issued against

• Increased difficulty traveling to other countries

• Increased difficulty in securing employment, housing, or public benefits

• Mandatory anger management classes

• Loss of parenting privileges or custody rights

• Loss of voting rights

• Ineligibility for certain financial loans

• Possible deportation or inadmissibility into the United States.

If you or someone you know has recently been arrested and charged with a domestic violence offense in California, you need to hire a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney straight away. I can help explore your possible defenses and do everything within my capacity to prevent or mitigate the devastating ramifications of a criminal conviction.

Possible Defenses

When facing domestic violence charges, your attorney may help fight those allegations using any of the following defenses:

• False accusation

• Self-defense

• Innocence (You didn't do it)

• Lack of intent

• Accident

• Error during the investigation

• Inconsistencies in the evidence

• The crime can't be proven beyond reasonable doubt

• The violence occurred due to the person's behavior

An experienced criminal defense attorney can intervene quickly, take preemptive measures to prevent the case from being filed, or ultimately get the criminal charges against you dropped or dismissed.

Work With a Skilled Criminal Defense Attorney

Domestic violence allegations are serious and could cause devastating, immediate, and life-long consequences to your personal reputation, quality of life, liberty, professional and future opportunities. Nonetheless, it is never advisable to navigate the criminal court system alone. Therefore, when facing domestic violence charges, retaining a highly-skilled and aggressive criminal defense attorney is crucial to protect your rights and help build your defense strategy.

With more than 20 years of experience, I have the skill, diligence, and resources to defend and represent individuals wrongfully accused of domestic violence. Using my in-depth knowledge and legal understanding, I will help you navigate the California criminal justice system. Also, I will seek to dispute the allegations against you with overwhelming evidence, help get witnesses to testify in your favor and attempt to establish your innocence.