I read a news article about a Weld County Sheriff deputy being arrested and charged with Assault and Child Abuse. Not many details about the events leading to his arrest were released, so it is hard to say why he is facing these exact charges, but it got me thinking about a trend we constantly see – the correlation between Domestic Violence charges and Child Abuse. It’s extremely common for the Greeley Police or Weld County Sheriff to respond to a call involving a boyfriend and girlfriend or husband and wife and instantly try to come up with as many charges as possible. One of those commonly added charges is Child Abuse. Say you were arguing with your spouse and the neighbors called the police. You are charged with Harassment as an act of Domestic Violence and then also Child Abuse because your kids were in the other room and heard the argument. It is a tactic used to stack the deck against you.
Domestic Violence Attorney in Greeley: Mandatory Arrest and No-Contact Order
When Fort Morgan Police or Morgan County Sheriff Deputies are called to a domestic violence (C.R.S. 18-6-800.3) incident, you can always expect an arrest. Mandatory arrests are required by law in a DV case. Even if a boyfriend simply called for help to calm his girlfriend down, if he tells the police she was hitting him, then she will be arrested for Third Degree Assault as an act of Domestic Violence. Not only that, but the girlfriend will not be able to bond out until she goes in front of a Weld County judge to have a protection order entered, prohibiting contact with her boyfriend.
Weld County Domestic Violence Lawyer: Child Abuse and DV?
We often see Child Abuse charges added in Weld County Domestic Violence cases. Let’s take the same example above. If the girlfriend’s children were home at the time she was hitting and yelling at her boyfriend, then Child Abuse charges are likely to be added – especially if they saw the interaction. Even if the kids were not hurt, their presence while another crime is committed is enough.
If you or someone you love has been charged with Domestic Violence or Child Abuse, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best Greeley criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009 today. Together, we can protect your future.
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