Being accused of being abusive toward a domestic partner can be disheartening, as it can ruin an individual’s reputation and even his or her future. Fortunately, those who are accused of domestic violence in Illinois are not immediately guilty according to the law. Instead, they have the right to aggressively fight their charges.
Domestic violence exists in a variety of forms. Physical abuse often comes to mind when hearing this term, such as biting, punching, burning, slapping and hitting. This type of abuse also takes place when one intimate partner denies the other partner medical treatment or forces the other person to take drugs or drink alcohol.
However, domestic violence can also involve emotional and even economic abuse. Examples of emotional abuse include constantly criticizing a partner, calling him or her names, or harming the partner’s relationship with the children. Economic abuse refers to withholding a romantic partner’s access to money or not letting him or her go to work.
Those who are accused of domestic violence may understandably be fearful due to the prospect of facing jail time and fines if convicted. In addition, these types of charges may impact decisions related to child custody and visitation. However, prosecutors at trial are required to prove these charges beyond a reasonable doubt before a conviction can be handed down. An attorney will investigate the defendant’s case and scrutinize the evidence that prosecutors plan to furnish to support their allegations, looking for holes in it. The attorney’s chief goal is to pursue the best outcome for the client given the circumstances, as well as to make sure that the client’s rights are protected during all stages of the criminal proceedings.
Source: findlaw.com, “What is Domestic Violence?“, Accessed on Nov. 28, 2017