Domestic violence is a serious offense and the law takes strict actions against the guilty. However, cases of false allegation aren’t very uncommon. On being wrongfully accused of domestic violence, you can get into huge trouble which, in turn, can adversely impact your life as well reputation. If you feel that you are in a similar situation and want to fight off the charges, you must know what are the potential defenses that can be used to protect your rights and interests. The most important right that you have in this regard is the right to an attorney. A good domestic violence attorney can help you figure out the best strategy to fight false allegations of domestic violence.
Here are the common defenses to domestic violence charges:
Deliberate False Allegations
In some cases individuals make false allegations of abuse against partners for personal gain or reasons that are not at all related to violence. Such charges often appear in divorce cases where the spouse makes false allegations to collect more monetary reward or gain full custody of children. In such cases, the defendant needs to find inconsistencies in the story of the opponent by matching police records or examining accounts of witnesses or through close examination.
Wrong Suspect
The defendant may also claim that someone else was responsible for the violence and prove himself innocent. To prove that the defendant cannot be the person who has committed the offense, the accused needs an alibi that he wasn’t present at the scene when the alleged victim was abused. You can present witnesses who testify that you were with them, not close to the scene of crime. You can also present photos or videos with time stamp that show you were somewhere else at that time.
Lack of Evidences
In domestic violence cases, one of the strongest defenses could be finding loopholes in the opponents case or argument. The defendant cannot be convicted if the prosecution cannot provide sufficient proof against the accused. An experienced attorney can uncover loopholes and contradictions in the arguments of prosecutor or the alleged victim to save the defendant.
Consent
The defendant can use this defense if he can prove that the opponent consented to the act. This includes situations where both individuals have willingly participated in a volunteer fight or sadistic sexual practice. However, it becomes difficult to defend yourself if there is no witness to back-up your claim.
Self Defense
For using self defense as a strategy, you must prove that your action was only intended to protect yourself or your children. This type of defense works only if you can prove that you perceived an imminent threat and was not the initial aggressor.
For using these defenses to fight domestic violence charges, careful examination of the case and situation is required, which becomes easy if you hire an expert Denver domestic violence lawyer. With good observation skills and deep understanding about the state laws, he or she can help you deal with such cases efficiently.