A domestic violence conviction could change your life forever. You may serve prison time, suffer financial consequences, and have changed relationships with your children, for example.
However, you haven’t been convicted yet. Right now, you are facing domestic violence charges in Georgia, and you need to know what to do to avoid a conviction.
Avoid These Mistakes in a Domestic Violence Criminal Case
You may think you are taking actions to help your defense, but the following actions could end up being costly mistakes. Specifically, it is a mistake to:
- Contact the alleged victim. The alleged victim is likely a family member or significant other. Even if you love this person, I encourage you not to contact the person who has accused you of domestic violence. It is especially important to avoid contact if there is a protective order in place.
- Believe the allegations will go away because you are innocent. The government may try to build a strong case against you. Do not assume that justice will be achieved just because you believe you didn’t commit the crime.
- Believe the allegations will go away if the alleged victim decides not to press charges. The victim doesn’t get to decide whether a crime has been committed or the charges should be brought. That is up to the State of Georgia.
- Talk to anyone other than an attorney about the charges. Anything that you say to the alleged victim, police, or prosecutors may be used against you.
- Post on social media. Anything you post on social media may be misconstrued and could be used against you.
- Accept a plea without knowing your rights. You may agree to unintended consequences that you did not have to accept.
- Miss a court date. Always show up on time, properly dressed, and with a respectful attitude.
- Fail to think of all possible defenses. You have the right to defend yourself and should thoroughly discuss all potential defenses with your lawyer.
- Not to contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer. It could be a costly mistake to handle your own case or to hire a lawyer who doesn’t have specific experience with criminal cases in Georgia.
Contact a Georgia Domestic Violence Criminal Defense Lawyer Today
I want to make sure that you know all of your rights and that you make an informed decision about how to handle your domestic violence case. Please contact me today for a free consultation and strategy session to discuss all of the things that you can do right in your domestic violence case and what we can do together to protect your legal rights.
