Lynnwood Domestic Violence Attorney

What Is A Domestic Violence Crime?

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The term "domestic violence" does not in itself signify a crime. In other words, there is no such thing as simply being charged with "domestic violence" in Washington state. Instead, "domestic violence" is a designation that serves as an enhancement to several other crimes when they are alleged to have been committed by one "family or household member" against another. Unfortunately, the term "family or household member" is defined broadly in Washington state as "spouses, domestic partners, former spouses, former domestic partners, persons who have a child in common regardless of whether they have been married or have lived together at any time, adult persons related by blood or marriage, adult persons who are presently residing together or who have resided together in the past, persons sixteen years of age or older with whom a person sixtenn years of age or older has or has had a dating relationship, and person who have a biological or legal parent-child relationship, including stepparents and stepchildren and grandparents and grandchildren." RCW 26.50.010(2).

The most common crime that gets the "domestic violence" designation in Washington state is Assault. Therefore, if you are charged with assaulting a family or household member by pushing them, lets say your spouse, significant other, roommate, or relative, your charge would be Assault 4 - Domestic Violence. On the other hand, If you were charged with assaulting a stranger, your charge would simply be Assault 4.

If you are arrested for domestic violence you should contact a Lynnwood criminal defense attorney immediately as you can face serious, life-altering charges.

Some of the common types of domestic violence crimes in the State of Washington include:

Assault 4 - Making unwanted contact with the victim that does not result in serious injury.
Malicious Mischief - Knowingly destroying something of value to the victim.
Violation of a Protection Order and Violation of a No Contact Order - An attempt to contact someone who the court issued orders for protection or no contact.
Harassment - Threatening a victim, which then causes fear in the victim that the threat will be carried out.
Interfering with Reporting Domestic Violence - Preventing a victim from contacting the police after a domestic violent incident.

Any of the above can be punishable by up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Incidents that involve more severe types of domestic violence can be charged as felonies and can result in much harsher penalties and jail terms. Your ability to see your children, if any, can be impaired if you have a domestic violence conviction on your record.

Consequences of Being Charged With a Crime of Domestic Violence

If you have been charged with a crime of Domestic Violence you have almost certainly been arrested and taken to jail. You have likely had a no-contact order issued against you. You may not be able to go home and may not even be able to see your family or your children.

Furthermore, most convictions of crimes of Domestic Violence will result in the permanent loss of your right to possess firearms. For this reason, it is absolutely imparative that you contact me, Lynnwood Domestic Violence Attorney Lance R. Fryrear, right away. If you were arrested in Snohomish County you may not realize that your no-contact order may expire in just 3 days. This depends if you were arrested on a City or State case. Please call me right away to set up a free consultation in my office to figure out what needs to be done next for your particular case.

If You Have A Legal Defense, I Will Find It

I paid my dues as a prosecutor for seven years and have been on the defense side now for over a decade. I know how the system works. I have examined thousands of defenses as a prosecutor and if you retain my services I will stop at nothing to find the best defense based on the severity of your charges.

I offer potential clients a free consultation. During this consultation, I will review your case and will tell you what you need to know and do in order to help you achieve the most favorable outcome possible. In addition to the above, you will receive a copy of my report, "10 Things Every Person Charged With A Crime Must Know."

Get the help you need; contact a Lynnwood criminal defense lawyer with experience in handling domestic violence cases today.