Getting falsely accused of domestic violence in Minnesota may put you at risk of losing your job, custody of your children, or even your home. You may face criminal charges and the accusation may damage your reputation in the community, as people will now view you as an abuser. False domestic violence accusations often happen when couples are in a contentious relationship with a risk of divorce. The accusations may also arise when one party wants to get full custody of the children during child custody cases.
A domestic assault criminal defense lawyer can guide you on what to do after getting falsely accused of domestic violence. The lawyer will obtain the alleged victim’s medical records and use them to challenge the prosecution’s case. The lawyer might also bring an expert witness on board to provide an alternative explanation for injuries suffered by the alleged victim. Your lawyer can also explain how your domestic violence case could get dismissed.
Table of Contents
Impact of False Accusations on Individuals and Families in Minnesota
The long-term impact of false domestic violence claims can be overwhelming for the accused. The reason is the false accusations alone will hurt your reputation, even if you have not been charged with domestic violence. Your relationship with members of your community will also worsen.
Your children may view you as a domestic abuser. The parental bond with your children may weaken even if you beat the domestic violence accusations.
Securing gainful employment will also be a nightmare, especially if you get convicted. Remember, potential employers often conduct criminal background checks when hiring new employees.
Understanding False Domestic Violence Accusations
Domestic violence cases are a common problem in marriages and romantic relationships in Minnesota. However, false domestic violence accusations are also significantly rising. False accusations occur when your partner wants to gain control over you or a situation. As noted earlier, false accusations can have serious criminal and civil repercussions for the accused party.
Common Motivations Behind False Accusations
Breakups, Divorce Cases, and Child Custody
Your partner may have ulterior motives in a domestic violence claim. The innate motivation is that he or she wants to gain an upper hand during divorce or child custody proceedings. Your losses may be twofold unless false allegations leveled against you are disproven. First, you may lose financially after a divorce settlement. You may also lose partial or total custody of your minor children.
Sometimes, one parent may make false allegations to turn a child against the other party. Even though the allegations may be later proven false, the relationship between you and the children will be strained. Your children may have a hard time moving on and viewing you in a positive light.
Property Cases
A spouse interested in acquiring the real estate property of the other spouse may be motivated to make false domestic violence allegations. You may have to vacate the property if you live with the accuser. Alternatively, you may be required to pay for a separate house for the accuser.
Need to Exact Revenge
A partner may make false domestic violence allegations if that partner is vindictive towards you. This action may be purely motivated by that partner’s need to exact revenge. This need may arise after a heated argument, where your partner may interpret it as violence.
Shouting may sometimes occur during arguments without necessarily involving any physical violence. After the heated exchange of words, your partner may feel the need to accuse you of domestic violence falsely.
The Importance of Legal Representation
A false allegation can spin out of control, resulting in criminal charges, jail time, and hefty fines. This is especially true if you fail to seek legal help to defend yourself against the allegation. So, be sure to retain a lawyer immediately after getting falsely accused of domestic violence in Minneapolis, MN.
You have better odds of beating a false domestic violence accusation with a lawyer on your side than when self-representing. Your lawyer may negotiate with the prosecution to stall the filing of charges. If negotiations are unsuccessful, and you get charged, your lawyer will conduct investigations, gather evidence, and devise a defense strategy to beat the false domestic violence allegations.
Legal Consequences of Domestic Violence Allegations
If you are falsely accused of domestic violence, you may face both civil and criminal consequences. In the civil aspect, false domestic violence claims may lead to the issuance of a protective order. The order prohibits contact with the alleged victim and your children. All forms of contacting the victim, directly or indirectly, are restricted. Even sending third parties to convey a message to the alleged victim is interpreted as protective order violation.
You may also lose firearm possession rights. Violating the protective order, even if requested under false circumstances, may lead to dire legal consequences. A domestic violence attorney can help you adhere to the order and work to have it lifted.
In the case of criminal consequences, you may face incarceration or heavy fines. The court may also issue no contact orders. The order bars contact between the accused and the alleged victim.
Burden of Proof in Domestic Violence Cases
In a domestic violence case, the burden of proof lies with the prosecution. The prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that the abuse occurred and that you were the perpetrator.
In the case of false allegations, you will have to attack the prosecution’s case. If all your accuser has are mere words with no physical evidence, you certainly do not have much of a case to answer. If there is evidence from an eyewitness, you must prove that the witness is giving a false testimony. Demonstrate that the witness statement does not accurately represent events as they occurred.
If you have a strong defense against the prosecutor’s allegations, the prosecutor may not file the charges. Prosecutors mainly pursue cases that have solid evidence.
Navigating the Legal Process in Minnesota
If you are facing false domestic violence accusations, you may be tempted to feel angry at yourself or even at the accusing partner. Follow the following steps to successfully navigate the legal processes involved in a false domestic violence case in Minnesota:
Stay Calm and Avoid Violent Tendencies
Maintain your calm demeanor even if you feel aggrieved by the other party. Avoid any physical or verbal altercations. The prosecutor may use any incident of violence to demonstrate that you have a history of violence. This, in turn, weakens your defense.
Gather Supporting Evidence
It is crucial to gather relevant evidence against the false accuser. The evidence includes witness statements, emails, and any incidents of threats that ensued before the allegations. Proper documentation of the evidence will help poke holes in the prosecution’s evidence.
Confide in a Trusted Friend or Family Member
That period where you are falsely accused of domestic violence can be lonely. Contact a trusted family member or friend to help you cope with this situation. Your friend or relative will offer you the much-needed support and guidance. They may also provide you with a witness testimony if necessary.
Seek Legal Representation
As previously stated, your best bet at beating false domestic violence allegations is to hire a lawyer immediately after you get arrested for assault for domestic violence. An experienced lawyer will evaluate your case, gather and organize evidence, protect your rights, and put a solid defense against the false allegations.
Arrest and Initial Proceedings
The police may arrest you after you are falsely accused of domestic violence. The police will then present you before a judge within 36 hours after the arrest. During the initial proceedings, you will get informed about your legal rights and the charges against you.
The judge will then outline the conditions of release and bail amount. The judge may issue a restriction order and domestic abuse no-contact order. You may also be required to surrender any firearm in your possession. These orders always get imposed as the case is running.
Preparing for Court Hearings
A court hearing provides the prosecution and defense the time to present and argue their case. The prosecution presents its case first. The prosecution calls its witnesses to give statements. The prosecution also presents any additional evidence in its possession.
The defense will also present its evidence and disprove the prosecution’s case. Your lawyer will use that chance to present evidence, call your witnesses to testify, and cross-examine the prosecution’s witnesses. The lawyer will also present legal arguments to support your innocence and dismissal of your charges.
When preparing for cross-examination, your lawyer will come up with a set of questions for each witness. The goal is to invalidate false allegations by exposing inconsistencies in the witness statements.
Your lawyer will also prepare witnesses who will testify in your favor beforehand. Doing this ensures you are on the same page with witnesses and avoids blunders that could weaken your defense.
