Police officers now arrest many persons for domestic violence that years ago were not charged. Many ordinary citizens are affected.

Many people falsely believe that if the alleged victim, who may not have ever pressed charges, requests that the charges be dropped, the State will automatically drop the charges. Not so.

A criminal defense attorney will examine the State's case, looking for weak points. This includes the lack of a written statement of the alleged victim, 911 tapes, if any, photos, and eyewitness accounts, if any.

A domestic battery conviction can result in jail, and at a minimum results in a 6 month long counseling program and supervised probation.

It may be possible to quickly resolve issues regarding contact with the alleged victim, if that is the desire of both parties, since otherwise the person charged is forbidden to return home. Most couples, who are not estranged, want the no contact order addressed first.