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

Maybe you never thought you’d find yourself in this situation: arrested on suspicion of domestic violence and facing possible criminal charges. In your mind, perhaps it was just an argument that got out of hand. Maybe this is the first time it’s happened. Or possibly it’s happened before. Maybe–heaven forbid–it points to a pattern of abuse. Of course, the first order of business is to navigate the legal issues surrounding your arrest and charges–but what about afterward? If you have a problem, what steps can you take toward treatment to ensure you don’t keep hurting the people you love? In the ..read more

It’s a devastating, humiliating scenario that happens more often than we might think. You’re engaged in a heated discussion with your significant other–possibly outside or with the windows open in your home. Things get a bit out of hand. Not long after, there’s a knock on the door. It’s the police; a neighbor heard your argument and called 911. Next thing you know, you’re under arrest for suspected domestic battery. Despite the numerous studies about the so-called “bystander effect” (suggesting that people in groups are less likely to intervene when someone is in trouble), the fact remains tha ..read more

When it comes to domestic violence, most of us think of it mainly in the context of what is happening to the victimized spouse/partner and how to keep any children safe from the threats of violence. We don’t often consider the question: what about the pets? One long-overlooked aspect of domestic violence is how frequently family pets are used as leverage between the perpetrator and the victim. Indeed, pet safety is a huge issue in these matters, and many people wonder how (or if) the protections California law offers extend to our animals.  The question is haunting whether you’re the vict ..read more