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Family Violence Battery Charges in Georgia

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In Georgia, a family violence battery is the identical charge of battery except that the alleged victim in the case has some sort of familial connection to the accused. The State of Georgia also takes family violence offenses very seriously and they can prosecute the accused of family violence, even if the victim does not want to press charges.

According to O.C.G.A. § 16-5-23.1, a person commits a battery when he/she intentionally causes substantial physical or visible bodily harm to another. However, in order for a person to be charged with family violence battery, the crime must have occurred between the following people:

  • Spouses or former spouses;
  • Individuals who have a child together;
  • Parents and children;
  • Step-parents and step-children;
  • Foster-parents and foster-children; and
  • Individuals living or formerly living in the same household.

Penalties

A family violence battery can either be characterized as a felony or a misdemeanor, depending on the past criminal history of the accused. A major consequence of a family violence battery conviction is that any future convictions of the same crime is an automatic felony. The first conviction of a family violence battery is sentenced as a misdemeanor, however, the second and subsequent convictions have a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. This rule, however, does not apply to simple battery- family violence. According to O.C.G.A. § 16-5-23, simple battery occurs either when:

  • A person makes physical contact of an insulting or provoking manner with the person of another; or
  • Intentionally causes physical harm to another.

Simple battery-family violence is identical to the crime of simple battery, except the alleged crime occurred between the following people listed above, which constitutes a familial tie.

After the first conviction of simple battery-family violence, unlike family violence battery, the second conviction is still merely characterized as a misdemeanor. A person convicted of simple battery- family violence or misdemeanor family violence battery may be sentenced to a maximum penalty of 12 months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.

Due to the severity of the penalties for a family violence charge, it is of vital importance to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney who is knowledgeable of all possible options for an accused dealing with such a serious charge. At the Law Offices of W. Scott Smith, our lawyers are trained at defending such allegations. Therefore, if you or a loved one has been arrested for family violence battery or simple battery-family violence, please call our office today at 404-581-0999 for a free consultation.

Georgia Criminal Lawyer – Violent Crime Arrest – Coweta County

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If you are charged with a violent crime in Coweta County, then you have come to the right place.  We have defended hundreds of violent charges ranging from simple battery to murder.  Coweta County has no shortage of these cases, and we are often called to assist in defending these violent crime allegations.

 

The first step is to determine your charges which are usually stacked meaning that you can have 3 or more charges for one just one punch, kick or push.  The extent of the injury will largely dictate what you are charged with, but the alleged victim’s status can also play a role.  The alleged victim’s age, occupation, relationship to you, and the location of the incident all factor into the potential charge and corresponding penalties.

 

Regardless of your exact charge, we stand ready to assist in defending your case in Coweta County.  If the alleged victim made a false allegation, then we look to the discredit the charge by presenting alibi evidence or witnesses who were present at the time of the alleged attack.  If there are no other witnesses, then it is just his or her word versus your word.  In those situations, we work to build up your character through your contacts in the community.  Simultaneously, we work to find discredit the alleged victim.  The reality of police work is that the person who makes the initial outcry (aka the 911 call) is usually the one who gets the labeled the victim while the other party gets hauled off to jail.  Of course, the officer is trained to look for injuries, but a savvy victim can injure himself or herself prior to the officer’s arrival just to add credibility to his or her story so injuries do not automatically equal guilt.

 

If you are not denying the violence, but instead seek to argue self-defense, then we argue that your actions were justified.  Georgia is a “Stand Your Ground” state that does not require you to retreat and allows you to defend yourself, your property, or even other people from what you believe to be an imminent threat of harm.  The amount of force used in those situations depends on the amount of force threatened by the other person.  These decisions are often made in the blink of an eye, and sometimes what you believed to be a threat turns out to be a cellphone instead of a gun.  Luckily, a reasonable mistake is still protected under the law.  How do you prove your actions were reasonable?  That requires the assistance of a skilled criminal defense attorney.

 

If you are charged with a crime of violence in Coweta County, call our office today at 404-581-0999 for your free consultation.