Ashbach Law Offices, LLC has extensive history representing clients charged with a vast array of domestic violence crimes, including assault, harassment and malicious mischief. Such great results include dismissals of charges, reduction to non-Domestic Violence charges, and acquittals (“not guilty” verdicts) at trial. Such great results have saved marriages, relationships, jobs and the ability to remain in the United States.
The lawyers at Ashbach Law Offices, LLC provide aggressive, strong defense for those charged with domestic violence offenses throughout Skagit, Snohomish, King and Whatcom Counties. Our goal is to aggressively protect you, your family and your interests from the prosecution, saving jail time, licenses, occupations and reputations. With offices in Marysville and Mill Creek, Washington, we are available to meet you discuss your case. We help good people in bad situations. Let us help you.
General Considerations
If a person is charged with a Domestic Violence offense, the court in which the case is filed typically issues a “No Contact Order” that prevents the accused person from contacting the alleged victim in any way. Violation of such orders is often a separate criminal offense. For family members who live together, have children together or are involved in other situations requiring contact, these orders can be quite burdensome, expensive and problematic.
Although usually thought of in terms of an assault, the “domestic violence” (or “DV”) tag may be associated with a variety of charges. Commonly seen charges include Disorderly Conduct DV, Harassment DV, Malicious Mischief DV, Stalking DV and Trespassing DV. The State Legislature has written that “Domestic Violence is a serious crime against society” and has enacted tough laws to address this stated issue.
What is “Domestic Violence”?
What may be categorized as “Domestic Violence” is quite expansive. Effectively, any crime allegedly to have been committed against a family or household member is a “Domestic Violence” crime.
“Family or household members” means spouses; former spouses; persons who have a child in common regardless of whether they have been married or have lived together at any time; adult persons related by blood or marriage; adult persons who are presently residing together or who have resided together in the past; persons 16 years of age or older who are presently residing together or who have resided together in the past and who have or have had a dating relationship; persons 16 years of age or older with whom a person 16 years of age or older has or has had a dating relationship; and persons who have a biological or legal parent-child relationship, including stepparents and stepchildren and grandparents and grandchildren.
Possible Ramifications of a Domestic Violence Conviction
In addition to the normal criminal penalties that are associated with any conviction, such as jail (or prison) sentences and/or fines, criminal allegations with the DV tag have their own set of secondary impacts. These include, but are not limited to:
1) loss of firearm rights until restored by a court of record, if even possible
2) inability to obtain security clearances
3) possible inadmissibility to Canada
4) deportation or denial of citizenship
5) inability to obtain certain jobs
6) treatment classes, often a year in length
7) No Contact Orders, often 2 to 5 years in length, until dropped
8) difficulty securing rental housing
Ashbach Law Offices, LLC, aggressively represents clients charged with Domestic Violence offenses throughout the Washington I-5 corridor, covering Skagit, Snohomish, King and Whatcom Counties. Regular courts of practice include, but are not limited to, Anacortes, Arlington, Bellevue, Bellingham, Blaine, Burlington, Edmonds, Everett, Issaquah, Lynnwood, Marysville, Monroe, Mount Vernon, Mountlake Terrance, Redmond, Seattle, Sedro Woolley and Shoreline.