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If you are under investigation or have been arrested for domestic violence in the Boston area or anywhere else in Massachusetts, do not talk to the police or the prosecutor without first contacting the Boston, Massachusetts criminal defense law firm of Altman & Altman.

Domestic violence charges are not criminal charges that you can face without an experienced criminal defense lawyer on your side. Our Boston, Massachusetts domestic violence lawyers have a combined more than 50 years experience representing clients in domestic violence cases throughout the Greater Boston area and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Altman & Altman would like to offer you a free consultation to discuss your case.

What is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence usually involves physical or emotional violence between husbands and wives, domestic partners, boyfriends and girlfriend, ex-spouses or ex-partners, people who have children together, or family members. Physical assault, stalking, sexual assault, verbal threats or assault, emotional violence, and kidnapping are considered domestic violence crimes if these actions are directed toward intimate partners, household members, or family members.

Unless serious bodily harm is involved, domestic violence is considered a misdemeanor, rather than a felony crime. But that does not mean that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will not take a domestic violence allegation or a conviction seriously—especially if this is not the first offense or a minor was involved.

Massachusetts' mandatory arrest policy obligates an investigating officer to arrest anyone accused of committing domestic violence. Even if the person who filed the complaint recants his or her statement to police or decides not to press charges, the decision is not up to him or her. It is the prosecutor who will decide whether to press charges.

Conviction for domestic violence can lead to serious penalties and professional and personal consequences, such as:

• Jail time
• Financial penalty
• Losing temporary child custody or visitation rights
• Jeopardizing his or her immigration status
• Losing the right to own a firearm
• Being eliminated from consideration for certain job and career opportunities

Domestic Violence Defense Strategies

Our Boston domestic violence lawyers can make sure that your legal rights are protected. We can determine whether police followed the proper legal procedures when arresting you and, when feasible, prove that the charges are unwarranted.

Sometimes domestic violence allegations can be made by an angry spouse during the heat of an argument or a worried neighbor who hears raised voices and furniture hitting the walls of the house next door. A 911 call to police can lead to an immediate arrest of the person who seems most likely to have acted violently—whether or not this is actually the case or anything violent actually took place.

Our Massachusetts domestic violence attorneys can determine whether evidence or witness testimony can be thrown out or suppressed. We will interview witnesses who can corroborate your side. In the event that a guilty plea is inevitable, there may be a way to reach a plea agreement with prosecutors that could lead to reduced charges and a sentencing that is less harsh, including alternatives to jail time. If your case has to go to trial, we are prepared to zealously and strategically represent you in court.

You are entitled to the best legal defense possible. Altman & Altman can deliver that defense for you. Please call 617.492.3000 or 800.481.6199 (toll free) or contact us online to request your free case evaluation. Our law offices are located in Cambridge, and we serve domestic violence clients in the Greater Boston area and in all the cities of Massachusetts. Altman and Altman LLP's dedicated criminal trial lawyers are available to speak with you after hours and on weekends.

Altman LLP's lawyers handle personal injury & criminal defense cases in all Massachusetts cities including: Allston, Arlington, Belmont, Boston, Braintree, Brighton, Brockton, Brookline, Cambridge, Charlestown, Dedham, Everett, Fall River, Framingham, Gloucester, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Lawrence, Lexington, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Medford, Middlesex County, New Bedford, Needham, Newton, Norfolk County, Plymouth, Quincy, Revere, Roxbury, Salem, Saugus, Somerville, South Boston, Springfield, Suffolk County, Taunton, Walpole, Waltham, Wareham, Watertown, West Roxbury, Winchester, Worcester, Worcester County and Wrentham. Altman LLP's attorneys are dedicated to serving our clients needs regarding every aspect of their personal injury or criminal defense case. We also handle accident cases that happened on all roads and highways throughout Massachusetts including Route 128, Route 93, Route 495, Route 290, Route 2, Route 95, The Mass Pike Route 190, Route 3, Route 1, Route 11,0 Route 9, and Route 20.