Phoenix, Arizona Domestic Violence
Phoenix, Arizona Domestic Violence
Arizona law classifies an offense as a domestic violence offense if the accused and the victim have a special relationship (For example, spouse / former spouse, parent, children in common, lived together presently or past).
The term domestic violence offense is quite misleading as many do not involve any violence at all. Many domestic violence ‘crimes’ result from the violation of an order of protection (restraining order). Some allegations of a violation of an order of protection are innocuous, such as a late phone call to a child or even a benign text message. Because Arizona law makes it very difficult to have custody of one’s child if they are convicted of a domestic violence offense, false allegations are unfortunately made for tactical reasons on an all too frequent basis.
Even with the most of benign of allegations, the case will be prosecuted as Interfering with Judicial Proceedings, aggravated harassment, or even stalking. In some instances, these cases are prosecuted as felonies. If you are facing domestic violence charges, it is essential to have a experienced criminal defense attorney to work with your family law attorney as not only is custody at stake, but also your freedom.
Jason Lamm does not practice family law. But through his years of experience, he has come to understand the overlap between the criminal justice system and family courts.
This is because Jason has worked very closely with a number of well respected family law attorneys in Phoenix when their mutual clients face such allegations in the midst of a divorce or custody battle. By tag-teaming with a client’s family law attorney, Jason Lamm has been able to spearhead and coordinate the defense of clients’ criminal charges along with their ongoing divorce or custody matters. This approach of a ‘unified defense’ has proven extremely successful and very beneficial to the outcome of our clients’ criminal and family law matters.
Even in cases where this is no underlying family law issues, many domestic violence cases involve weapons or injury. They may be charged as aggravated assault or even murder. This type of domestic violence offense is prosecuted even more aggressively. The fact that a domestic relationship underlies the allegations can result in even harsher penalties upon conviction Prosecutors are typically not concerned if victims are not willing to cooperate or testify at trial. Some try to coerce or intimidate victims to come to court. Shady? – perhaps so, but it happens every day. That’s why experience really does matter in hiring a criminal defense attorney. Fight fire with an even bigger fire so you don’t get burned by the system.
When faced with this type of situation in Phoenix, or anywhere in Arizona, you need a criminal defense attorney who is experienced and has a proven track record. Even if it’s after hours, contact us immediately.
