Domestic Violence

Vancouver WA Domestic Violence Attorney

Have an Experienced DV Lawyer on Your Side

If you or someone you know has been charged with a domestic violence crime, you probably have several questions including how to lift the no-contact order and how to effectively fight the charges. Call an experienced Vancouver WA Domestic Violence attorney.  I offer a free consultation, where I will explain the entire domestic violence court process and the best strategies to defend against your charges. I have handled hundreds of DV cases in Clark County and I can help you come up with a plan to fight yours.

Domestic Violence (DV) charges are pursued aggressively by prosecutors and police officers. Once police are called to a domestic disturbance, they are not there to help you resolve your argument, they are there looking for evidence of a crime.   Most people do not realize that grabbing a person’s cell phone or breaking their own dishes can get them arrested.

The consequences of a domestic violence conviction are very serious and it is an uphill battle fighting domestic violence charges.  Once you are charged with a domestic violence crime, the court usually enters a no-contact order against you which is a separate crime if violated.  You are given a mandatory court appearance and limited time to prepare a defense.  Hiring an experience attorney as soon as possible is crucial to success in your case.

Consequences of a Domestic Violence Conviction

A DV conviction carries serious consequences in addition to those of a typical criminal charge:

  • Jail Time
  • Revocation of Your Firearms Rights
  • Enhanced Sentences
  • No Contact Orders
  • Domestic Violence Treatment
  • Loss of Employment and Housing
  • Increased Spousal Support
  • Loss of Child Custody
  • Loss of Immigration Status

A domestic violence conviction is sometimes impossible to clear from your record or takes much longer to vacate or expunge than a non-domestic violence charge.  Landlords often do not rent to someone with a domestic violence conviction and schools often do not allow parents to participate in their child’s classroom if they have a domestic violence conviction.

Mandatory Arrest for a Domestic Violence Charge

Domestic Violence laws require that a police officer arrest a person if there is probable cause that they have committed a Domestic Violence crime.  Probable cause is an amount of evidence that is enough to lead a reasonable person to believe that a crime has been committed.  In other words, if the police think that something probably happened, then they have to make an arrest.  This mandatory arrest rule is unique to domestic violence law and results in over enforcement.  Police cannot come over after an argument and tell everyone to calm down and issue a warning if they think that one person was yelling a bit too loud or broke a plate during an argument.

No Contact Orders and Restraining Orders

No contact orders are issued in domestic violence cases, which can break up families and lead to serious financial hardship.  No contact orders are typically issued at your first court appearance and sometimes before your first court date.  These orders prevent any sort of contact including calling, texting and coming within a certain distance of the protected person’s residence, workplace or school.  A violation of this order is taken very seriously and will result in additional criminal charges.

Because restraining orders and no-contact orders force husband or wife; boyfriend or girlfriend; brother, sister, mother, father or even roommate, to find another place to live while the charges are pending, time is a critical factor in defending these types of cases.

Hiring an experienced trial attorney is essential when defending yourself against a domestic violence charge.

Why You Need an Experienced Attorney

Some of the best attorneys work for the prosecutor’s domestic violence office because DV charges provide unique challenges to the prosecution and defense.

First, domestic violence charges usually occur behind closed doors, which means that there are usually no officer witnesses, third-party witnesses or surveillance videos of the incident.

Second, witnesses that accuse a person of domestic violence that result in an arrest and formal charges often change their testimony a couple of times and may say something completely different to investigators after a couple of days or weeks and may ultimately testify to a different version of events at trial.

Third, there is usually a reason that alleged victims of domestic violence would lie to officers to get someone arrested in the first place.  These reasons may include, child custody issues, one partner cheating on the other or one partner enacting some other type of revenge.  An experienced trial attorney can explore these issues and carefully use your unique circumstance in your defense to cast doubt upon the credibility of the accusing witness.

Finally, domestic violence cases, for all the reasons stated above present very unique legal challenges.  The difference between winning a trial and losing one is the attorney’s experience in Domestic Violence Trial Law.  There are many rules that arise at every turn in a DV case and every piece of evidence the prosecutor seeks to admit has very technical and effective challenges that only an experienced trial attorney can take advantage of.

If you are charged with a domestic violence crime it is very important to hire someone who is very experienced in handling domestic violence cases.  Only they can make sure that you get the best resolution on your case.

Hire an Experienced Vancouver WA Domestic Violence Attorney

Kris Carrasco is an experienced Vancouver, Washington domestic violence attorney who has handled hundreds of domestic violence cases.  If you are charged with DV crime, you need an attorney that can protect your rights and get you the best possible results in your case.  Sometimes a domestic violence charge should go to trial and sometimes it should settle.  Kris Carrasco has a winning record in trial and knows the best plan to take in your case.