Marion and Forrest City, AR Domestic Battering Lawyer
The crime of domestic battering in Arkansas is a serious matter with potentially long-lasting consequences. If convicted, you may lose your job, especially if you’ve been charged with a felony. Most employers will not hire or keep felons, and in many professionally licensed occupations even a misdemeanor can be damaging. This being an offense involving the family, you also could lose custody of your children. If you and the alleged victim have children together, that person could certainly use the charge to try and take your custody rights away. You also stand to lose your gun rights—under federal law a conviction for a crime of domestic violence, even a misdemeanor, bans you from ever buying or even possessing a firearm.
What is Domestic Battering?
Domestic Battering in Arkansas comes in different forms, or degrees. The most serious is domestic battering in the first degree. This is a Class B felony, though it could be a Class A felony under certain circumstances. Domestic battering in the second degree is a Class C felony though it could also be a Class B felony in more serious cases. Domestic battering in the third degree is a Class A misdemeanor, though it could be a Class D felony in more serious cases.
This last provision, third-degree domestic battering, is the most common type of domestic “simple assault.” Arkansas third-degree domestic battering means there was no serious physical injury caused, and if any injury resulted from a deadly weapon it was done so negligently. As a class A misdemeanor it is punishable up to one year.
Know Your Options
If you’ve been charged with domestic battering, talk to an Arkansas criminal lawyer today. Many times these cases hinge on the testimony of the alleged victim. If the state can’t prove its case, you may want to have a trial. However if an agreement can be worked out where the charge comes off your record, that’s always a good option. This may be possible for people with no prior record and in cases where the victim does not want to prosecute.
Click here to read Arkansas Criminal Law Articles on Domestic Battering
