The State of California has some of the most stringent laws in the nation for protecting domestic violence victims–and this translates into aggressive policies when it comes to law enforcement. Police officers responding to domestic violence calls are trained to act swiftly and decisively. For instance, under California law, if officers respond to a call ..read more

While the laws of California deal primarily with identifying and stopping cycles of domestic violence (as well as punishing offenders), its resources for dealing with the root causes or healing the trauma of domestic violence extend only so far. Granted, they make a decent attempt by informing victims of available resources and mandating Batterer’s Intervention Programs for perpetrators, but these could only be considered a starting point, at best. Whether you’ve been charged with domestic violence crimes or whether you are a victim of domestic violence, you must ultimately take charge of you ..read more

Facing a domestic violence charge in California can be a deeply unsettling and even frightening experience. The immediate whirlwind of legal complexities and the potential for life-altering consequences might leave you overwhelmed and uncertain about the future. Even so, perhaps in your mind, this is just a misunderstanding of an argument with your significant other that got out of hand. Or maybe you’ve been charged only with misdemeanor domestic battery, a seemingly minor offense that rarely results in jail time for first-time offenders. You might even feel like this could all “go away” if yo ..read more

When family disagreements escalate into accusations of domestic violence, it’s not uncommon for the accusing partner to have a change of heart after the fact and decide not to press charges or testify. If you’re the one accused, this may seem like good news at first–but in California, it does not necessarily mean you won’t still face criminal charges or be convicted of domestic violence. The reason for this is that domestic violence allegations are not a civil matter but a criminal one–meaning it’s the state that brings a claim against you, not your accuser. If prosecutors find other evidence ..read more

Domestic violence doesn’t occur in a vacuum; physical contact is rarely a one-way street where the assailant attacks while the victim does nothing. Our instinct is to respond physically to defend ourselves against an attacker, sometimes to the point of striking back accordingly. However, in California, when police respond to a domestic violence call and conduct an investigation, they are required by law to arrest someone if they see evidence that violence occurred. Unfortunately, sometimes, they make wrong assumptions and arrest the wrong person. Thus, it’s not uncommon for someone to be charg ..read more

Addiction and domestic violence are two complex issues that, unfortunately, often intersect–and more often than you might think. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that as many as 55 percent of all domestic abuse incidents occur after the perpetrator was drinking–and surveys of domestic violence victims suggest that number is as high as 67 percent.  Suffice it to say that if you’re facing accusations of domestic violence and are grappling with drug or alcohol addiction, you’re not alone. It’s not uncommon for someone struggling with substance abuse to act out of character while unde ..read more

The world of entertainment was rocked recently by the news of Jonathan Majors, a rising star known for his roles in Creed III and Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, being convicted last month of misdemeanor assault stemming from an altercation with his former girlfriend, Grace Jabbari earlier in the year. Despite the jury convicting Majors of a lesser charge than the prosecution alleged, Majors was dropped by both Marvel and Disney Pictures within hours of the verdict. This case was not only a high-profile legal battle but also a stark reminder of the serious consequences of domestic violence ..read more

If you’ve recently been arrested for domestic violence charges in California and you’re not quite sure how it happened…you’re not alone. For many people, getting arrested or charged with a crime is a wake-up call. Maybe it was an argument that got out of hand in your mind. Perhaps this is your first domestic violence offense–or maybe it’s just the first time your partner called the cops. Maybe you’ve been here before–and you’re not sure why you keep crossing the line into physical violence. If so, here’s a question to ponder: Do you suffer from low self-esteem? Granted, if you’ve just been arr ..read more

There’s no denying it: we live in very stressful times. When the pressure is on, we may respond in ways we would not otherwise. Financial stress, in particular, can be especially overwhelming in this day and age. For many individuals, especially those who may struggle with anger issues, this can unfortunately increase the risk of aggression. Perhaps you’ve struggled lately under the weight of stress. Maybe it got the better of you, and you took it out on your spouse or partner. Maybe things got physical, and you’re now charged with domestic battery–or maybe your partner legitimately felt threa ..read more

If you’ve been arrested or charged with domestic battery, criminal threats, or other forms of domestic violence, the one thing that could make matters worse is not understanding how or why it happened. How, exactly, did you get here? Perhaps you have some anger issues, but you never expected an argument with your partner to escalate to an arrest. Or maybe you’ve been struggling with your mental health but never formally diagnosed with any condition. This begs the question: can an undiagnosed mental illness trigger domestic violence? In short, yes, it’s possible for an undiagnosed mental illnes ..read more