What to Do After a Domestic Abuse-Related Arrest

4 years ago by Justin M. Schiks

Not surprisingly, the State of Minnesota treats charges of domestic abuse and violence very seriously. If you have been arrested or charged with a crime of domestic abuse, your first step should be to contact an experienced Woodbury domestic abuse lawyer as soon as you can. The knowledgeable legal team at JS Defense, PA, can immediately begin work on preparing your case for trial and helping you to develop your best possible legal arguments. Give us a call today at (651) 968-9652 or contact us online to find out more about how we could assist you with defending your legal matter in court. 

What is Domestic Assault or Abuse?

Domestic abuse charges in the State of Minnesota are assault allegations that involve specific family members or other individuals who reside together in a domestic setting. To qualify as a domestic assault, the accused must attempt to inflict bodily harm, intentionally inflict bodily harm or injury, or intentionally cause fear of serious and imminent bodily harm (or death), against a person in the accused’s family or household. 

Household or family members could include any of the following individuals:

• Spouses
• Former spouses
• Children
• Parents
• Anyone with whom the accused shares a blood relationship
• An individual with whom the accused is currently cohabiting
• An individual with whom the accused has previously cohabited 
• An individual whom the accused had previously dated
• An individual who has a child in common with the accused

If you are convicted of a domestic abuse charge, you will likely be facing serious penalties at the sentencing judge’s discretion. Those penalties might include jail time, fines, and supervised or unsupervised probation. Generally speaking, individuals who have previously been convicted of a domestic abuse crime will be sentenced to more severe penalties than individuals who have not been previously convicted of such crimes. 

Actions You Should Take (and Not Take) Following Your Arrest 

If you have been arrested and/or charged with a crime of domestic abuse in Minnesota, your first call should be to an experienced Woodbury domestic abuse attorney. Your attorney can work to ensure that all of your legal rights (including your constitutional rights) remain fully protected while you are pending trial.

Moreover, following your arrest, you should not submit to any interrogation or answer any substantive legal questions without first having an attorney present. Anything that you say about your case when you are answering such questions could ultimately be used against you later on at trial. 

Contact a Woodbury Domestic Abuse Lawyer Today

Given the potential penalties associated with a domestic abuse conviction, it is essential that you retain experienced legal representation early on in the process. This will ensure that your attorney has sufficient time to prepare your case for trial and develop one or more strong legal defenses to your domestic abuse charge. The experienced attorneys at JS Defense, PA, can work to help you achieve the best possible result in your case – either at trial or by way of a favorable plea agreement. 
To schedule a free consultation and case evaluation with a Woodbury domestic abuse attorney, call us today at (651) 968-9652 or contact us online for more information.