Building A Strong Defense Against Domestic Violence Charges
For more than 46 years, the law firm of Steven W. Thayer, P.S., has provided outstanding representation to men and women charged with domestic violence in the municipal, district and superior courts of Clark County, and throughout Southwest Washington.
These cases include felony and/or misdemeanor assault, harassment, malicious mischief and protection order violations, with penalties ranging up to a year in jail to years in prison and loss of rights, including the right to possess firearms, and other consequences, including prohibitions on contact between the alleged victim and the accused, fines, costs, etc.
Domestic Violence Charges Are Often Made In The Heat Of The Moment
Accusations of domestic violence are often made in the heat of anger. Many clients are falsely accused by spouses or relatives motivated by revenge. Some accusations have a financial motive or are made with custody and/or divorce litigation in mind.
Many cases also involve mutual combat between the parties where self-defense or defense of others comes into play. The city or state prosecuting is required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused was not lawfully acting in self-defense or to protect others from harm. For example:
Assume that a husband and wife have been drinking and an argument ensues. The wife becomes angry and, intent on leaving, grabs her keys and heads for the door. Her husband, realizing she is drunk and unsafe to operate a vehicle, blocks her attempt to exit. They struggle as he attempts to prevent her from leaving. While physically restraining her, he takes away her keys. Her arms are bruised from his attempts to prevent her from leaving. She calls 911. When the police arrive, they arrest her husband for domestic assault and unlawful imprisonment. Despite the fact that some visible injury was inflicted, the husband was not intending to commit a crime, but to protect his wife and the public from far more serious consequences.
The law requiring that the city or state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused was not lawfully acting in self-defense in assault cases came about as a result of a case calledState v. Acosta, that was decided by the Washington State Supreme Court in 1982. Steve Thayer argued that case, persuading the court that the defendant should be entitled to the benefit of the doubt in cases involving self-defense, a precedent which is still followed by our courts today.
We Will Fight For You
Just because you have been charged with domestic violence does not mean your case cannot be successfully defended. Call the law firm of Steven W. Thayer, P.S., where you can rely on more than 56 years of combined experience and expertise to ensure that your rights and interests are fully protected.
Contact Attorney Steven Thayer
If you have been charged with domestic assault in the state of Washington, make sure you go to court equipped with experienced and proven legal support. The law firm of Steven W. Thayer, P.S., applies four decades of success to your case. Call the firm 24 hours a day at 360-694-8290 orcontact the firm online.