Charged with Domestic Violence in Michigan?
Domestic Violence charges are serious allegations. They can come with jail time and hefty fines, as well as unforeseen and external consequences, even after a trial and sentence has been served. Retaining a dedicated and experienced criminal defense attorney may be your best bet at avoiding the worst of the consequences.
What can the police question you about if you’re accused of Domestic Violence?
Generally, police will ask you and the other people involved: “What happened?”
Police ask a series of questions for three main reasons.
- First, they are establishing the facts of the incident, and as a main witness (if accused of domestic violence), they will question you on the events which occurred.
- Second, they want to establish a clear timeline of the incident.
- Third, they do all of this in order to help establish guilt down the line.
It is advised not to answer any questions without legal counsel being present. Not answering questions is within your rights under the constitution and police cannot force you to answer any questions.
Questions police might ask:
- Who was present at the time of the incident?
- Who started the incident?
- Were you acting in self-defense?
- Has this happened before?
The job the police will try to accomplish by asking these questions is that of determining who the malicious party was at the time of the incident. When the police arrive at the scene they might already be biased as to who the guilty party is. Answering these questions can help them reaffirm that bias, so politely declining to answer might be the best thing to do.
Domestic Violence charges can be difficult to deal with both emotionally and legally. Like many people facing these charges, you may not know where to begin when choosing a defense attorney.
After a charge is brought against you, contact legal representation.
3 Things to Ask Before Hiring a Defense Attorney
Attorneys, like many professions, specialize in certain areas of the law. Legal professions and their specialties are broad, therefore finding an attorney who primarily practices criminal defense is important. The simple reason for this is attorneys who focus on criminal defense might have the most experience in defending your case.
What to ask:
- Have you worked successfully on cases similar to mine? Measuring your potential attorney’s success rate and their knowledge of this specific area of the law is important.
- What should I expect the outcome of my case to be? Good attorneys know that they cannot guarantee 100% any outcome, but based on their experience and knowledge, they can help present you with the possibilities of your situation.
- What will you charge me? Cases can take longer than expected, so the total final cost of your case might be higher, still, understanding your attorney’s fees is an important step in finding representation.
Experienced Michigan Criminal Defense
Contact us today if you have been charged with Domestic Violence in Detroit or the Metro Detroit area. We have years of experience serving clients in Wayne County, Oakland County, and all over the state of Michigan. Contact us today. We offer free consultations.