"Domestic Violence" is defined by California law as abuse committed against someone with whom you have a close relationship with.  This relationship may be with a spouse, former spouse, cohabitant, former cohabitant, or person with whom you had a child with or are having a child with, or someone that you have had a dating or engagement relationship.

Domestic Violence charges can have very serious consequences, with felonies carrying years in prison and misdemeanors carrying up to a year in jail.  Even the most minor domestic violence charge can require a 52 week mandatory domestic violence school.  After the O.J. Simpson case, the State of California toughened up its domestic violence statutes in response to the public outrage with the case.  In addition to amending the Domestic Violence statutes, the Legislature declared that domestic violence crimes "merit special consideration when imposing a sentence so as to display society’s condemnation for these crimes of violence upon victims with whom a close relationship has been established." [California Penal Code § 243(e)(4)] Because of the seriousness of these crimes it is very important to talk to an attorney sooner rather than later.

As San Diego Criminal Defense Attorneys, we have handled numerous domestic violence cases. We know the sensitive issues that are involved with incidents involving families and other close relationships.  Often, people find themselves at the mercy of the government after an argument led to police involvement.  Threats of violence or even the slightest touching can result in an arrest and criminal prosecution, even if the victim does not want to prosecute. 

Many people expect charges to be dropped because their significant other does not want to press charges.  However, this is a common misconception.  The victim does not decide whether or not to prosecute a criminal case. While the victim’s input can be important to a case, a victim has no control over that case.  Once the police are involved, the District Attorney decides whether or not a crime was committed and whether or not to go forward and prosecute.  Therefore, it is very important to hire an attorney with experience handling domestic violence cases in San Diego.

At the Christoph Law Offices, we provide quality personal representation for our clients facing the difficulties of a domestic violence case.  Call us today for a free confidential consultation to discuss your case.