Washington's Domestic Violence Laws
By law, if law enforcement officers respond to a domestic violence (DV) call and find probable cause to believe that any type of physical contact or assault has taken place in the last four hours — they must arrest someone. If that someone was recently you, it is very important that you make no statements to the police and that you do nothing to violate any no-contact order that may have been imposed on you.
Do not visit. Do not call. Do not write a letter. Do not send an e-mail. Do not violate this order.
The next thing you will want to do is contact an attorney.
We believe that the more you know about the charges against you and the criminal justice system, the better you can defend yourself and assist your attorney. To assist you we have gathered information regarding the State and Federal laws that govern sex crimes and domestic violence offenses, the defenses to these crimes, evaluation and treatment resources and a whole lot more.
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Seattle Domestic Dispute Arrests
At Rhodes & Meryhew, our lawyers represent people from throughout the State of Washington who have been charged with crimes associated with domestic violence. In Washington, these crimes typically involve people who live under the same roof. But spousal abuse and family violence are not all there is to it. The law also recognizes that domestic violence can and does occur between people who are not living together as well. Boyfriends, girlfriends, same-sex partners, unmarried parents, and former spouses can each be victims or perpetrators of domestic violence whether they currently live together or not.
Over the years, laws have increased penalties and courts have taken an increasingly hard stance toward offenders. But fines, jail, treatment and other court-imposed conditions are only part of the story. The collateral consequences of a domestic violence conviction can be just as, if not more damaging. These may include:
- The loss of your right to own or possess a firearm
- An inability to operate certain types of businesses or to hold certain occupations
- The loss of your professional license
- The loss of child custody or visitation rights
- Deportation if you are not a naturalized U.S. citizen
Our attorneys will fight to protect these rights and to minimize the damaging consequences of your arrest. Although getting charges dismissed or reduced is ideal, this is not always a realistic possibility. Our experience in the court system has enabled us to secure more favorable sentencing options such as drug/alcohol treatment, anger management, and DV offender treatment for many of our previous clients.
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Call 206-264-1590 for a free consultation or send us an e-mail with a brief description of your situation and concerns.
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