Dropping Home Violence Fees in Florida


Knowledge estimates that home violence impacts almost ten million People yearly, making it a public well being concern along with a felony offense. Below Florida legislation (Statute 741.28), home violence is “any assault, aggravated assault, battery, aggravated battery, sexual assault, sexual battery, stalking, aggravated stalking, kidnapping, false imprisonment, or any felony offense leading to bodily harm or demise of 1 member of the family or family member by one other member of the family or family member.” Nonetheless, in some instances, home violence allegations are false, or the offender was in a scenario the place they wanted to make use of self-defense. In these cases, you’ll need the prosecutor to drop the costs towards you to maintain your felony document clear. To study extra about dropping home violence costs in Florida or what you are able to do about them, hold studying.

What Occurs if a Sufferer Needs to Drop Fees in Florida?

The brief reply is that they will’t. The state of Florida’s felony justice system doesn’t permit an alleged sufferer of home violence alone to have the costs towards an alleged abuser dropped. The state can nonetheless pursue a case even when the sufferer doesn’t need to press costs. Nonetheless, this doesn’t imply the sufferer doesn’t produce other choices. First, they will file an affidavit stating they want to drop the costs. The prosecutor doesn’t must observe the sufferer’s needs, however the state will think about it. The sufferer’s enter has a big influence on the prosecutor’s determination to do the next:

  • Drop a case
  • File a case
  • Negotiate a settlement

The sufferer also can recant (or take again) their assertion. Nonetheless, if the sufferer gave the assertion underneath oath, this might have severe repercussions.

What Is an Arraignment?

An arraignment is a proper courtroom listening to the place the prosecutor information costs (if any) towards the defendant. Having a felony protection lawyer by your aspect for an arraignment is all the time best as a result of they will supply authorized recommendation on tips on how to proceed and develop a complete protection technique for a felony case.

Getting Fees Dropped Throughout an Arraignment

It’s unusual for a choose to drop the felony costs towards you throughout an arraignment. It is because they lack the authority to take action. To get home violence costs dropped in Florida, your protection legal professional should negotiate with the prosecutor. Solely the prosecutor has the authority to drop the costs at an arraignment.

Methods to Get Fees Dropped for Home Violence

Disclaimer: The data right here doesn’t represent authorized recommendation. For recommendation concerning your particular case, contact a felony protection lawyer. There’s a small window of alternative earlier than an arraignment in an try and persuade the State Legal professional’s workplace to drop the costs. This could occur when the felony case is in “non-filed standing.” In the event you can’t negotiate with the prosecution earlier than the arraignment, the subsequent most suitable choice is to attempt to take action afterward. In any case, work with an skilled felony protection legal professional from a good legislation agency. They’ll negotiate with the state and/or current extra data to persuade them to drop the costs. For instance, if there’s ample data to show false allegations of home violence, your lawyer can current it to the State Legal professional at any time.

Dropping Home Violence Fees in Florida After the Arraignment

Even when you have an arraignment listening to, the prosecutor should drop the costs earlier than your subsequent official courtroom proceedings. By following these steps, chances are you’ll enhance your probabilities that the prosecutor will drop the costs:

  • Ask for witness testimonies that show your innocence or supply contradictory tales to the state’s case.
  • Acquire proof of your innocence, or that undermines the case.
  • Seek the advice of with a home violence protection legal professional like Mike G Legislation in regards to the validity of the state’s proof towards you.
  • Negotiate with the prosecution.
  • Current mitigating components comparable to cooperation with police, proof of rehabilitation, or an absence of felony historical past.
  • Submit pre-trial choices, comparable to a transfer to dismiss, if legislation enforcement used improper strategies to gather proof or violated your rights.

In the event you and your lawyer can present you’re harmless, that legislation enforcement violated your rights, or that you just’re taking steps to enhance your self, you might need a greater probability that the prosecution will drop the costs towards you.

What Might Occur if Home Violence Fees Are Not Dropped

If the state information the costs, that doesn’t imply it will probably’t drop them in some unspecified time in the future. The distinction is that the case will probably be “nolle prosequi,” which implies the prosecutor voluntarily ends the case after submitting costs. Nonetheless, a Florida home violence conviction can be doable if the state continues the case. Home violence battery is a misdemeanor home violence cost. The penalties are as follows:

  • As much as one 12 months in jail
  • As much as one 12 months of probation
  • A most tremendous of $1,000

Extra severe home violence crimes, comparable to aggravated battery and aggravated assault, are felony costs. The penalties for these crimes vary from 5 to fifteen years in jail. A felony cost in your felony historical past will considerably influence the remainder of your life. Additional, Florida Statute 741.30 permits victims to file an injunction towards the alleged abuser for cover towards home violence. Thus, the courtroom can challenge a no-contact order, making it unlawful for the alleged offender to contact the sufferer. These convicted can also must take part in a Batterer Intervention & Prevention Program (BIPP). This differs from an anger administration program, because it focuses on accountability, training, and sufferer security as an alternative of solely anger. The Nationwide Home Violence Hotline says BIPPs are far more efficient in altering abusive habits. In the long run, due to the quite a few penalties that include shedding a home violence case, it‘s in your finest curiosity to rent a felony protection legal professional to defend you.

Get the Assist You Want With Mike G Legislation

Coping with the fallout from a home violence arrest is irritating. Thankfully, it’s doable to barter with the prosecution about dropping home violence costs in Florida. In the event you or a beloved one is dealing with a home violence cost, get assist now by contacting the legislation workplace of Mike G Legislation for a free session. Mike G Legislation has labored on each the prosecution and protection sides of the legislation for over 25 years. As a former prosecutor, Mike G has ample negotiation and felony trial expertise. Our workplace location is as follows: 1005 N Marion St. #118 Tampa, FL, 33602 (813) 221-4303

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