Rhode Island Domestic Violence Defense Lawyer
Understanding Domestic Violence Laws in Rhode Island
In Rhode Island, family and criminal courts hold simultaneous jurisdiction over “family crimes” such as assault, sexual abuse, and stalking. These criminal cases mean that charges may be filed in either court and, in some cases, both. For example, civil criminal charges can be set in family court while criminal charges pursue in front of a criminal judge.
In domestic violence cases, it is not unique for victims to be involved in protection orders prepared to limit or stop defendants who have charges from reaching ex-spouses or children who may live at the location where the pending domestic violence case occurred.
Over the past several years, there has been a heightened public awareness of the severe consequences of domestic violence. One response to Rhode Island includes the Domestic Violence Prevention Act (R.I.G.L. 12-29), which was created to ensure that a crime between relatives could be penalized as harshly as a similar violent crime involving strangers.
Under R.I.G.L. 12-29-2, domestic violence is a term that covers the following crimes that are committed by one relative or household member against another.
These domestic violence offenses include:
- Simple assault
- Felony assault
- Vandalism
- Disorderly conduct
- Trespass
- Kidnapping
- Child snatching
- Violating a protective order or no-contact order
- Homicide
- Sexual assault
- Stalking
- Damage or obstruction of a telephone
- Burglary and unlawful entry
- Arson
- Cyberstalking and cyber harassment
- Assault by strangulation
What does it mean to be a “family or household member”? This can include anyone from spouses, ex-spouses, and adults related by blood or marriage to adults who have lived together for the past three years. This law can also apply to any people who have a child, whether or not they ever lived together, and to people who currently are in a dating relationship or were so within the past year.
But you face more than severe criminal penalties. The effect of a domestic violence arrest can be a massive blow to your reputation, and a conviction would only preserve that social stigma. At the Law Offices of Robert H. Humphrey, you can find a legal advocate who understands that a simple misunderstanding or even a maliciously false accusation can land good people in a difficult situation.
Law Offices of Robert H. Humphrey Family Violence Legal Counsel
Under Rhode Island law, when a police officer responds to a domestic violence call and believes that probable cause exists that a crime has occurred, they are required to make an arrest. If you are charged with a crime of domestic violence, you need a domestic violence attorney who has the reputation, experience and skill to successfully handle your domestic violence case.