If you face a domestic violence charge in Connecticut, you want to prepare as much as you can for the coming court process. Learn more about Connecticut domestic violence charges here.

Facts About Domestic Violence

1. If arrested for domestic violence, you must appear in court the next business day that the court is open.
2. People charged with domestic violence must cooperate with the Family Services Division of the Court Support Services Division. Failure to cooperate before your arraignment can hurt your case.
3. The court will hear a proposal from the court support services office. The proposal concerns whether the judge should impose a full, partial, or no protective order. Each order comes from a judge. Only a judge can change it.
4. If you are arrested for domestic violence and have any guns or firearms, you can’t keep them. You will have to turn them over to someone else who is licensed or the police.
5. Violation of a judge’s protective order can be a more serious crime than the original charge!
6. If you are being issued a protective order you have a right to have a hearing on this and to fight it. If you do not fight it, you might agree to waive the ability to fight it forever.
7. Most courts have special days and prosecutors for domestic violence who have special training.
8. There are special court programs for people charged with domestic violence which may help you with your case, but there is no guarantee you will be allowed into the program.
9. If you are facing a charge of domestic violence in Connecticut, it is not unusual to go to court more than five times before your case is resolved. The sooner you have a lawyer working for you, the quicker the case may resolve.
10. Just because you are no longer together or the “victim” wants the case dropped does not mean that the case will be dropped. The state can force a victim to testify against you if they want to do so.

For more help with a domestic violence charge, contact our office. We are happy to walk you through this situation.