The Possible Consequences of Domestic Violence in California
Domestic violence is a “wobbler” crime in California, and it can be charged and prosecuted either as a misdemeanor or a felony. A Sacramento criminal attorney can explain the likely consequences of a particular domestic violence charge best, because this requires an understanding of how the local and state statutes and penal codes determine the gravity of the offense and appropriate punishment.
In general, California law establishes the baseline consequences for a domestic violence conviction. If convicted for a misdemeanor, the potential sentence includes minimum of a 52-week domestic violence course with behavior counseling, 40 hours of community service, a “No Contact Order” with the victim, and several different fines. Many times the prosecutor will not try to get the maximum fine and many judges will not opt for more than a month of jail time, though a maximum of a year is possible. In many cases, alternate sentences that increase the financial cost but eliminate jail time in favor of a work program are possible.
A felony conviction entails a similar domestic violence program, more community service, the same no contact order, significantly higher fines, and a minimum jail sentence of three months. Depending on the severity, this can take the form of a year or more in prison, or something less serious such as supervised probation. In either case, local statutes leave a wide range of sentences for the prosecution and the judge to choose from depending on all the related factors.
No matter what your circumstance, whether you are a victim of domestic violence or have been charged with the crime, you need a Sacramento criminal attorney immediately. The right attorney can help protect you, help you get the counseling or therapy you need, and see that local and California laws are executed fairly for the sake of the victim and the accused .The end goal is the appropriate sentence so that both people can lead better, safer lives.
