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Cherokee County Family Violence Lawyer

An impassioned atmosphere surrounds family violence. Advocacy groups and increased media coverage have drawn attention to the issues surrounding.

Legislatures in Georgia and states across the nation have taken action, resulting in pervasive policies and avid prosecution. With strict enforcement of Georgia’s Family Violence Act and new laws, you may find yourself charged with domestic violence even if the victim was unwilling or refused to bring action against you.

When facing a family violence allegation, retaining a lawyer as soon as possible is your best course of action. Penalties for conviction may include loss or restriction of visitation rights, if you are divorced and do not have custody of your children; your right to vote or possess firearms, or possibly even jail time. If kidnapping or assault with a weapon are an aspect of the domestic violence accusation, you may even face felony charges.

When you are accused of family violence, an experienced attorney can help you understand your rights and explain the legal options available to you. A Cherokee County family violence lawyer can also assess your case, answer questions, and help you minimize the impact of the allegation. Reach out to us today to schedule a consultation and learn more about your defense options.

What Constitutes Family Violence?

Under the Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 19-13-1, an incident of domestic violence involves certain violent acts or threats, or even in some incidents other felonies, against a family member or person with whom a defendant has a specific relationship under the law. Examples of these individuals include parents of the same child, parents and children, stepparents and stepchildren, foster parents and foster children, past or present spouses, and people who live or have ever lived together, including roommates.

There are many different offenses that would constitute family violence when committed against an individual who falls within one of the categories above. Common examples include simple battery, battery, or aggravated battery, various forms of assault, damage to property, criminal trespass, or stalking. Our dedicated lawyers in Cherokee County could investigate the circumstances surrounding an accusation of family violence to determine the best next steps and case strategy.

Reducing the Impact of a Family or Domestic Violence Case

Whether or not someone is convicted of a family violence offense, it will have impacts on their lives.  With an understanding of the potential impacts as well as the situation that led to the charges, our team can work with you to either mitigate the impacts, fight the case, or a combination of both approaches.

Mitigating the long-term effects of family violence allegations generally revolves around convincing the prosecution and the court both that the defendant poses no immediate danger to other family or household members and that there is little chance of future incidents of violence in the long term. For both juvenile and young adult offenders, this typically means understanding exactly what did and did not happen prior to an arrest, providing information showing that the accused is not in need of anger or violence therapy, or has already undergone such therapy, establishing that the individual is a positive and productive member of society, and showing that the incident was inconsistent with the defendant’s usual pattern of behavior.

While when taking an approach of fighting the case, a Cherokee County attorney can help prepare a more traditional family violence defense in criminal court. This can include evaluating the statements of witnesses, debating whether the alleged victim fits under the definition of a household member for the purposes of classification, or raising additional evidence that points to an incident being the result of self-defense.  Ultimately, this can include having a trial in front of a jury to raise these defenses.

When combining both of these approaches, we can explore every option for trying to get the most favorable outcome.  However, we will help you choose the approach that is most in alignment with your goals.

Reach Out to a Cherokee County Family Violence Attorney Today

Allegations of acts of family violence are always serious matters. Whether they involve alleged assaults, physical violence, or stalking, each of these cases can result in a young defendant seeing their life impacted in many ways.

Talking with a Cherokee County family violence lawyer can help you minimize these impacts for yourself or a loved one. Our compassionate attorneys have helped numerous teenagers and young adults handle their domestic violence cases in the most productive way possible. Contact our team today to schedule a defense strategy meeting and learn more about your options.