Domestic Violence

Salt Lake City Domestic Violence Attorneys

Providing Criminal Defense Help to Clients Facing Serious Charges

Learning you’re charged with domestic violence can be scary, especially if you’re trying to sort out the legal details on your own. Fortunately, you have the right to legal counsel, which means you can hire a Salt Lake City domestic violence lawyer from Conyers & Nix to help you navigate the legal system. Our team is prepared to offer you help when you need it the most, providing you with answers to your legal questions as soon as possible.

Domestic violence charges can range in severity from misdemeanors to felonies. As a result, your penalties for a conviction could include time in jail, expensive fines, and required enrollment in domestic violence classes. Additionally, a domestic violence charge could cause difficulty in securing a job and housing for the rest of your life. In short, getting labeled as a domestic violence abuser could be extremely detrimental for you and could affect your relationship with your spouse, children, and other loved ones.

But you’re not alone in dealing with your Utah domestic violence case, as you can call on us for assistance during this vulnerable time. If you need us to help you prepare for your domestic violence court date, call our Salt Lake City, UT law office for a consultation with a skilled domestic violence attorney.

What Domestic Violence Charges Were You Accused of?

At Conyers & Nix, we realize that life happens and people make mistakes. But it doesn’t always mean they should have to serve jail time or be labeled as a domestic violence abuser.

Did a situation get out of hand with your spouse? Maybe both of you were yelling at the top of your lungs because you were mad at each other.

Did a neighbor call the police because they heard you arguing with your girlfriend at your home? What a neighbor hears is not always accurate, of course. It doesn’t tell the entire story.

Did you overreact and now you’re scared of the consequences? Whether or not domestic violence actually occurred, in the heat of the moment, people can get emotional and don’t use logic to solve a situation. No one is perfect. We understand that.

While an argument may have gotten out of control and the police may have been called, that doesn’t mean you committed domestic violence. The only people who really know what happened are you, the other party involved, and any witnesses.

Perhaps you and your spouse reconciled, but a domestic charge is still pending. What does that mean for you and your relationship? What do you do?

The recommended actions will depend on your specific domestic violence charges, as they can range from threats of physical harm or violence to actual acts of violence committed against a family member or household member. The following are some of the most common criminal offenses seen in domestic violence cases:

  • Assault
  • Aggravated assault
  • Harassment
  • Stalking
  • Kidnapping
  • Mayhem
  • Child abuse
  • Voyeurism
  • Sexual battery or other sexual offenses
  • Discharging a firearm or threatening to do so
  • Damage to or interruption of a communication device, such as a phone
  • Violating a restraining order

If you’re facing any of these criminal charges in your domestic violence case and need legal advice, contact our law office today. A Salt Lake City domestic violence lawyer from our firm will listen to all the details about your case and let you know what we can do for you.

What Is Felony Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence charges may be categorized as misdemeanors or felonies, depending on the underlying actions and their effects. In general, misdemeanor charges are common in domestic violence cases that don’t involve severe physical harm or death to victims. By contrast, if you’re accused of seriously or permanently hurting the alleged victim, or if this isn’t your first domestic violence charge, you could be facing felony domestic violence charges.

For example, if you’re accused of assault, harassment, or violation of a protective order, you likely face a misdemeanor charge. The same is true if you’re accused of hanging up or taking the alleged victim’s cell phone or other communication device.

However, if you’re charged with mayhem, you’re likely facing a second-degree felony. This is because mayhem is a crime in which someone unlawfully and intentionally disfigures or disables a victim’s body part, causing permanent damage. So, if you’re accused of cutting the victim’s nose or lips or causing blindness in one eye, you could be charged with the felony crime of mayhem, which could result in a lengthy prison sentence if you’re convicted.

Some domestic violence charges are normally misdemeanors but become felonies due to certain factors. For instance, if you’re charged with violating a protective order, this is usually a misdemeanor, but it could become a felony if you have one or more serious domestic violence charges on your criminal record.

The age of the alleged domestic violence victims and any witnesses can also determine whether you face a felony or misdemeanor. For example, if you’re accused of committing or attempting to commit homicide or cause bodily injury to a family member while in the presence of a child, your crime could be charged as a felony. A skilled Utah domestic violence lawyer can review your alleged domestic violence crimes and let you know how severe they are before the legal proceedings begin, so call our Salt Lake City law office today to discuss your case.

What Are the Penalties of Domestic Violence in Utah?

The penalties to expect for a domestic violence conviction will depend on your specific criminal charges. In most cases, a misdemeanor domestic violence offense will result in some jail time and fines, while a felony criminal offense usually leads to years in prison, fines, and other consequences that come with having a felony on your criminal record.

Your Salt Lake County domestic violence attorney will help you understand what type of misdemeanor or felony charge you’re facing when it comes to your domestic violence situation. In the meantime, it helps to know that the penalties for different domestic violence crimes include:

  • Class C misdemeanor: Up to 90 days in jail and up to $750 in fines
  • Class B misdemeanor: Up to 180 days in jail and up to $1,000 in fines
  • Class A misdemeanor: Up to 364 days in jail and up to $2,500 in fines
  • Third-degree felony: Up to five years in prison and up to $5,000 in fines
  • Second-degree felony: Up to 15 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines
  • First-degree felony: Life in prison and up to $10,000 in fines

Depending on the details of your domestic violence charge, you could face additional penalties. These can include the requirement to attend a domestic violence treatment program and the issuance of a restraining order that keeps you from contacting the alleged victim. If your domestic violence allegations involve children, your conviction could affect your child custody arrangements, meaning you could be barred from seeing your children unless you’re supervised by another adult.

If your domestic violence conviction is classified as a felony, you’ll have to deal with the additional consequences of having a felony conviction on your criminal record. You would likely lose certain constitutional rights, such as your voting and gun ownership rights. You could also find it difficult to get a job or housing with a felony on your criminal record, especially if your domestic violence conviction has led to the loss of professional licenses required for your industry.

These penalties are serious and could affect your life for years to come, which is why it’s important to seek exceptional legal representation from a Salt Lake County attorney with experience fighting for clients like you. If you want the best chance to avoid jail time, fines, the issuance of protective orders, and other collateral consequences of a domestic violence conviction, contact our Salt Lake County criminal law firm to speak with a caring attorney.

What Legal Defense Options Can Utah Domestic Violence Lawyers Use for Your Case?

Now that you know the penalties to expect for each criminal charge you face in Utah, you might be worried about how to defend yourself from false allegations. But you should rest assured you’re in good hands if you hire Conyers & Nix. We have worked on a variety of domestic violence cases and have represented thousands of clients who were charged with misdemeanors and felonies. We have an excellent understanding of the Utah legal process and are ready to aggressively fight false allegations against our clients.

If you’re unsure of what to expect from the legal process, we encourage you to schedule a consultation with an attorney from our Salt Lake County law office. It’s important for you to get an idea of the defense options we can use as we work hard to show the prosecutor does not have adequate evidence to prove you committed the crime.

In the best-case scenario, sometimes we can help couples reconcile and get criminal charges dismissed. This dismissal is obviously ideal, as couples can get on the road to recovery together. Other times, our domestic violence lawyers fight charges to put our clients in a better position in their divorce or child custody battle. That means if you’re getting divorced or have kids, you may still be able to share custody without worrying about a protective order.

Sometimes, we help our Utah clients by negotiating a plea deal that doesn’t involve a domestic violence charge. They may serve less jail time, pay less in fines, and may not have to go to domestic violence classes.

We recognize that every person, couple, and case is different, so you can trust us to find a defense tailored to your needs. We will patiently listen to what you want out of your case and give you some possible scenarios that could unfold while we work on getting you a favorable outcome. Either way, you’ll be mentally and emotionally prepared for what’s ahead with our help when you hire our Utah law firm for your case.

Why Should You Call Salt Lake City Domestic Violence Lawyers?

We know how horrible it can be to be accused of domestic violence. You feel as if your entire world is unstable and you don’t know where to turn for help, especially if you have children with the alleged victim. You’re afraid of what’s going to happen to your relationship with your kids when their other parent gets awarded temporary custody and tries to label you an alleged abuser.

We can help with a variety of domestic abuse situations, including ones where child custody issues may be at play. Conyers & Nix will fight for you all the way and aim to reduce your sentence or get the charges dismissed altogether. If you’re hoping for a favorable outcome on your Salt Lake County court case, don’t wait to contact domestic violence attorneys. Contact Conyers & Nix as soon as possible, as we’re eager to help you get your life back on track and ensure you have a brighter tomorrow.

Call our Salt Lake City law offices today at 385-469-1097 to discuss the details of your domestic violence charges during a confidential consultation. A skilled attorney will get back to you within 24 hours to get you started on your new path as soon as possible!