Domestic violence is an extremely sensitive matter that can be difficult to address. This is because domestic assault charges generally involve a significant amount of emotional upheaval from all parties, both the accused and the alleged victim/s. If you were accused of committing domestic assault, it’s beneficial to understand both what is at stake and what you should do to stay on the right side of things while you address your charges.
Police in Oklahoma generally take reports of domestic assault quite seriously, even if they were notified by a neighbor who simply heard yelling and not by the alleged victim. Officers can even make an arrest if they suspect they have found evidence of domestic assault. The alleged victim does not have to cooperate with police questioning for officers to still move forward with the arrest.
After an arrest — and sometimes even without one — a judge may file a protective order against you. Commonly called restraining orders, these do much more than restrict how close you can get to a victim. You could be stripped of your right to have a firearm and be barred from seeing or speaking with your children. Firearms are also routinely seized when the order is issued.
You may feel as if the protective order is unnecessarily restrictive. If the alleged incident did not involve your children, you might even feel tempted to contact them regardless of what your order states. This is not a good idea. Violating your order — even accidentally — can lead to additional criminal charges in Oklahoma and make your situation much worse.
No matter what led to your charges for domestic assault, you need to be prepared. One of the most important aspects of preparing your criminal defense is complying with your protective order, but that is not all. Preparing a strong defense is essential, but doing so alone can be overwhelming. For those who need more information or help figuring out their situation, visiting our website is a good place to start.
