Cambridge, Domestic Violence Defense Attorneys

Being merely accused of domestic violence can have a devastating impact on your life. You may find yourself being kicked out of your own home, in jeopardy of losing contact with your kids and loved ones and you may also experience serious damage to your reputation – even if the accusations are completely false! In such cases, it is vital to have an experienced criminal defense attorney in your corner to help you, and the lawyers at Cambridge-based Altman & Altman LLP are ready to do just that.

Domestic violence crimes are common in Massachusetts and they carry with them some serious potential consequences. If you are accused, charged and found guilty of a domestic violence crime, you may face penalties including:

• Up to two and a half years in a house of correction and a $5,000 fine for a first offense
• Up to 5 years in state prison or an additional two and a half years in a house of corrections for a subsequent offense
• Those who are charged with domestic violence may also have to take a batterers intervention course

Domestic violence as defined in Massachusetts does not just occur between married people. Domestic violence charges can be brought against any member of a household who commits an assault or assault & battery against their spouse, roommate, blood relative, girlfriend/boyfriend or someone with whom they have a child.

Domestic violence is not merely causing physical harm to somebody within the household either. Domestic violence can include merely attempting to cause physical harm, causing the other person to feel serious fear of imminent physical harm or causing harm through some other means, such as using threats of violence to force non-consensual sexual contact.

What Should You do After an Arrest?

Perhaps you were having an argument with your significant other and it devolved to a point of loud shouting. If a neighbor happens to call the police, suspecting that a domestic violence incident is occurring rather than just a bad verbal argument, you may be arrested on suspicion of domestic violence even if none occurred.

In this instance, it is crucial that you hire a good defense attorney prior to your arraignment in Cambridge District Court so that you can be made aware of all the options and potential legal pitfalls ahead of you. Domestic violence is a charge that is rarely dropped during arraignment, meaning that you will likely have to present a defense against the charge if you wish to beat the charges – and that’s where we come in.

There are further potential complications involved with domestic violence, including whether or not a restraining order was in place with or against the other person involved in the charges. Further, if the accusation was completely false and somebody is trying to use a threat of a domestic violence charge against you, this is a major crime and we will use every resource to clear your name and pursue action against whomever levied the false charge.

Make Sure You Have Someone Working for You

As with any charge that is brought against you in a court of law, having facts and evidence on your side – and somebody who is trained and experienced in presenting those facts – is crucial to giving you good chances of emerging not guilty of said charges or receiving a less severe punishment if you are found guilty. The experienced defense attorneys at Altman & Altman LLP have over 50 years of experience helping our clients in Cambridge, Boston and throughout Massachusetts.

We understand how terrifying it can be to have charges brought against you for crimes such as domestic violence, especially if you feel as though you have been falsely or otherwise wrongfully accused. We have worked for decades to help clients just like you, and we can get started on your case right away.

Call us for a free consultation to go over the details of your case today at 617-492-3000 or toll-free at 800-481-6199. We are available 24/7.