When you think about potentially facing domestic violence charges, you may be concerned about the jail time, fines, and probation sentences. However, most unfortunately, the hardships you may face may go far beyond criminal ones. That is, with a permanent criminal record now, this information can pop up at the most inconvenient times and affect many aspects of your life indefinitely. Without further ado, please read on to discover the added consequences that might follow you after being found guilty of domestic violence, and how a seasoned Morristown criminal defense lawyer at Graves Andrews, LLC, can help you avoid this unfortunate fate.
What are the criminal punishments for a domestic violence charge in the state of New Jersey?
Firstly, if you are awaiting a criminal trial to address an accusation of domestic violence, you should be aware of the potential punishments that might result from it. Well, domestic violence itself is not a criminal category, but it consists of acts that are already considered crimes in New Jersey law. What makes it domestic violence is when the victim of this act is your spouse, former spouse, domestic partner, former domestic partner, someone you previously dated, or someone you have or are expecting a child with.
With that out of the way, now you may better understand that your domestic violence may cause you to receive disorderly persons offense (i.e., harassment, stalking, etc.) or indictable offense charges (i.e., aggravated assault, sexual assault, etc). So, in regard to just your jail or prison time, your criminal sentence may range as follows:
- When domestic violence is involved in a disorderly persons offense: up to six months in jail.
- When domestic violence is involved in a fourth-degree indictable offense: up to 18 months in prison.
- When domestic violence is involved in a third-degree indictable offense: between three and five years in prison.
- When domestic violence is involved in a third-degree indictable offense: between five and 10 years in prison.
- When domestic violence is involved in a third-degree indictable offense: up to 20 years in prison.
Besides criminal sentencing, what are the possible consequences of a domestic violence charge?
Once you serve your time in jail or prison, you may hope to leave this all in your past. However, most unfortunately, a history of domestic violence is taken seriously in the legal realm, and it is not easily forgotten by society, either. That said, besides criminal sentencing, you may brace yourself with these other possible consequences:
- Strict limitations on your pending or existing child custody order.
- Immediate seizure of your firearms and suspensions on future permits.
- Difficulty acquiring employment in certain professions (i.e., healthcare, education, law enforcement, etc).
- Difficulty getting approved for leasing renewal or a new housing application.
- Potential threat to your immigration status and pending removal or deportation proceedings.
- Potential heightened child support and spousal support orders in your ongoing divorce case.
For further legal guidance, please look no further than a competent Morristown criminal defense lawyer. When you work with Graves Andrews, LLC, you can trust that you are in good hands. Schedule a consultation with us today.