Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney Blog
A Jacksonville corrections officer was arrested last week, accused of hitting his wife during an argument. The officer, a 14-year veteran of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, was assigned to a desk job while the criminal case works its way through the system. The officer is charged with domestic battery, a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in the county jail. The woman told police she and her husband were arguing and he pushed her onto a couch several times and then punched her in the arm, the newspaper reported. The woman did not call police at the time, but then chose to make the call the next day, the newspaper reported.
This is the second Jacksonville officer charged with domestic violence in recent weeks. Because officers are typically on desk duty until their case is resolved, the cases can often move a little quicker than a regular Jacksonville Domestic Battery Case. The same can be true for people in other lines of work, where someone is arrested on a Jacksonville DUI Charge or another charge but is not allowed to return to work until the case is finished. Defendants must weigh what is best for them personally and professionally when it comes to fighting a criminal charge – and sometimes those interests are conflicting. An employer may have a policy encouraging a guilty plea, though the suspect may think it is in his or her best interest to take the case to trial.
The opposite can be true for law enforcement. Many law enforcement agencies have a policy that prohibits them from employing people who have been convicted of a crime. In most departments that only applies to felonies, and not misdemeanors such as this Jacksonville Domestic Battery Case, but it could discourage an officer from agreeing to plead guilty and accepting some sort of probation in order to move on.
Jacksonville Domestic Battery Charges are typically misdemeanors, unless a weapon is involved or there is serious bodily harm. The cases can be difficult to prove at times because victims can have a change of heart as the cases proceed. They may decide they don’t want their husband or boyfriend to be facing a criminal charge and say they want to “drop” the Jacksonville Domestic Battery Charges. But once the case is filed, that decision lies solely in the hands of prosecutors. Now, the state typically does not move forward without the alleged victim in a Jacksonville Domestic Battery Case, though it certainly can if it chooses. Our Jacksonville Domestic Battery Attorney knows the ramifications an arrest can have on a person’s career and life. Our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney will work with you and discuss options so you can make the best decision for yourself in regards to your criminal case.
If you or a loved one needs a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call The Mussallem Law Firm at (904) 365-5200 for a FREE CONSULTATION. Our Jacksonville Domestic Battery Attorney, Victoria “Tori” Mussallem, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.