Articles Posted in Domestic Battery in Jacksonville

The Florida Department of Children and Families has shut down a Westside Jacksonville child care center after the operator continued to watch children despite a Jacksonville battery conviction. The operator was arrested in October 2010 and pleaded no contest in the next morning. Battery is one of the charges that allows the state to revoke a child care provider license, according to a report in the Florida Times-Union.

After the conviction, state licensors told her to stop working at Tiny Blessings Day Care Center, but she refused. The state of Florida then took her to court and an administrative judge revoked her license. The business was shut down last week. This case highlights the importance of knowing the effect specific criminal charges will have on any licensing or governing body that regulates your profession. For example, people who drive a taxi or truck for a living can be out of work after a Florida DUI conviction. Issues like this often arise when people enter a plea in the jail courtroom the day after their arrest. The temptation is to get out of jail, do whatever is needed in the short term – not thinking of long-term costs.

If you are arrested in Jacksonville, you will be taken to a courtroom, referred to as J-1, within 24 hours of your arrest. The best option is to plead NOT GUILTY. This will give you time to consult with an attorney to determine the best way to proceed for you – personally and professionally. Often times, charges can be reduced or other punishments can be arranged – such as community service – that could allow people to continue work and being productive member of society. If you or a loved one is arrested, make sure you call a criminal attorney before just trying to get rid of the charges the morning after. An experienced Northeast Florida criminal defense attorney can analyze the state’s evidence against you and provide you with a proper defense strategy.

As a Jacksonville Domestic Battery Attorney, I have represented hundreds of people who have been charged with Domestic Violence in Northeast Florida. Many of my prior clients, and their alleged victims, had no idea how serious domestic charges and a domestic battery arrest is. If the police are called out to a domestic disturbance, it is almost guaranteed that someone will be arrested. Often times, people call the police thinking that the officers will come out and separate the two parties or make the aggressor leave the house. The truth is, the officers don’t want to take the chance of something violent happening when they leave. The result is, somebody is going to jail. That person is usually the one who did not call the police.

Once you are arrested for Domestic Battery the state attorney’s office has to make a decision about your case. The prosecutor will discuss the circumstances of your arrest and any evidence collected with the police officer. He or she will also attempt to make contact with the alleged victim. In our Duval County Domestic Battery Law Firm, we are often contacted by the named victim in the case and that victim often times wants the domestic violence charges dropped. The alleged victim will be asked to take a class at the state attorney’s office before their desires are listened to. Even then, if the prosecutor on the case thinks they can prove their case even without the cooperation of the victim, they could still proceed.

If you enter a plea to a domestic battery charge in Florida, there are certain minimum mandatory punishments. Florida law mandates that a person be adjudicated guilty (convicted) of the domestic charge, but an experienced criminal attorney could negotiate with the prosecutor and a withhold of adjudication is possible. Twelve months of probation is also mandated and you will have to complete the Batterers’ Intervention Program through the Salvation Army. This is a 26 week class that must be completed to the satisfaction of the workers in charge. Homework and absolute attendance is required. If you violate the probation, you could be arrested on a violation of probation in Jacksonville and facing the same amount of jail time as your were on the domestic battery. Domestic Battery in Florida is a first degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 12 months in jail.