The prosecutor will bring a criminal case even without the victim’s participation. It is a mistake to believe that a person can “press charges” or not. Once the police are involved, it is out of your hands.

If you are convicted of a felony stalking charge, you can be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of your life. Moreover, this information may be available for the world to see on the Internet.

If you are sentenced to state prison and released, your partner has the right to ask that you are court-ordered to avoid any contact with him or her.

If you have any child abuse charges in your past, they can come back to haunt you. They are admissible in a criminal domestic violence case even if you are charged with violence against a partner; not a child.

Your domestic partner has three years from the date of the last incident of domestic abuse to sue for personal injury. This is a completely separate action from any criminal action; the goal here is to get money from you.

There is no “diversion” for domestic violence defendants in criminal cases. (Diversion is a criminal conviction dismissal that results from the accused successfully completing an educational program and staying out of trouble.)

California Law Enforcement Telecommunication System contains out-of-state domestic violence restraining orders, presumes their validity and honors them fully.

A conviction for any felony domestic violence charge will count as a strike in the California “Three Strikes” system.

The police do not need a warrant to arrest someone suspected of domestic violence.

Health practitioners are required to report cases of domestic violence to law enforcement, whether the patient desires to “press charges” or not.

If your intimate partner requests, he or she will be notified of your release from prison and your location upon release.

A judge can decide that there is domestic violence involved in your child custody case if, within the last five years, you were convicted of domestic violence or a court decided that you committed domestic violence against the other parent or the child.

A national crime victim survey found that many people involved in a violent relationship reported lying or exaggerating to police in order to manipulate or control their partners.

A skilled criminal defense lawyer can help!