Last week the husband of a local Town Council member was charged with felony domestic assault for allegedly assaulting his wife with a 12 gauge shotgun, as reported by the Providence Journal.  This story, and others like it, serve as a constant reminder that anyone from any walk of life or status can be charged with crimes of domestic violence.  Based on the initial reports of the incident, the Defendant's attorney did an excellent job achieving the Defendant's release on $50,000 bail in front of Chief Judge Jeanne LaFazia.  These types of charges, felony domestic assault casesspecifically, can take 4 to 8 months to be brought forward into the Superior Court so it is vital that the Defendant be released on bail awaiting that future court date otherwise he would be held at the ACI until then.

How Serious Are Felony Domestic Assault Charges?

Felony domestic assault charges, like the ones brought in the story above, are extremely serious and when a weapon is involved the penalties become much more severe.  Every case gets decided by its own unique facts and circumstances, but cases involving felony domestic assault charges involving a firearm can easily lead to a jail sentence if convicted.  In addition to the jail sentence, any defendant would face the stigma of being convicted of not just a felony charge, but a felony domestic charge.  These charges are extremely difficult to have removed from a criminal record, if they are ever eligible.  Moreover, a conviction for a felony domestic assault charge could result in a no contact order between the parties for years, possibly more than a decade.

How do I fight my Felony Domestic Assault Charge?

As a Rhode Island Domestic Violence Defense Lawyer, I can say that the first step to fighting your domestic violence charge is to make sure that you do not get arrested again.  All too often, a client will come to me for assistance in fighting a domestic assault or domestic violence charge and the case is weak and we put a plan in place to fight and beat the charge only to have the plant thrown out the window by a new arrest.  The best domestic assault defense strategies are worthless if we cannot keep you from picking up a new charge and violating your bail.

When you sit down for your initial consultation, we will review the facts of the case with you and the relationship between you and the alleged victim.  At this point, we can begin to outline a possible domestic violence defense strategy to put in place to defeat the charges brought against you.  So, in addition to not getting arrested again, the very next thing you should do is call us to schedule an initial consultation.

If you or a loved one has been charged with a felony domestic assault charge or any other criminal offense in Rhode Island, you need to immediately call Attorney Matthew Marin for skilled and aggressive domestic violence defense representation.  We will begin working immediately to ensure that your rights are protected and that you can put the best defense possible forward.  Attorney Marin is available 24/7 to discuss your case and to schedule a no fee, confidential consultation at one of our convenient office locations.  Contact us today by phone at 401-228-8271 or email at [email protected], or fill out the contact form on our Website.