Sonoma County Domestic Violence Attorney – Experienced Lawyers Fighting for You in Sonoma County, California

Domestic violence laws are designed to protect against physical injury, abuse, threats of violence and unwanted and offensive contact to certain persons known as intimate partners. Intimate partners are spouses, ex-spouses, the other parent of your child, a person you are dating or with whom you had a dating relationship and a cohabitant of your home. These laws offer special protection to victims of domestic violence and harsher penalties in some cases for those who are convicted under a domestic violence statute. Elder abuse is also considered part of the domestic violence category since so many victims are elderly family members and are especially vulnerable.

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There are also severe immigration penalties for non-US citizens who are convicted of a domestic violence crime since most of these crimes constitute a deportable offense. Most California counties also impose a mandatory minimum jail sentence for even a misdemeanor conviction. Courts will also require misdemeanor as well as felony offenders to attend a one-year domestic batterer’s class as a condition of probation.

If you or someone you know is facing a domestic violence charge, it is imperative that you or that individual promptly contact a lawyer from the Domestic Violence Attorney Group since a conviction can have serious consequences affecting your freedom, school enrollment and your ability to find suitable employment and housing. It can also result in loss of custody or visitation rights for your children.

Domestic Battery: PC 243(e)(1)

Domestic battery also concerns a willful or intentional act on an intimate partner except that the injury can be trivial, though harmful or offensive, and need not have caused any pain to the victim. For a battery to occur, it can be any unwanted contact such as pushing or slapping the individual and doing so with the purpose or intent of committing harm. A battery also occurs regardless if the contact was not directly on the victim. For example, smashing the victim’s car window while the person was inside, snatching a necklace off the intimate partner or kicking the victim’s cat in the person’s presence could be charged as domestic battery.

Domestic battery is a misdemeanor though you can face aggravated battery charges, which can be charged as a felony if the intimate partner suffered serious bodily injury, and face state prison time. In many cases, the court will require the offender to attend a batterer’s treatment program for at least one year as a condition of probation. A subsequent domestic battery conviction results in a mandatory minimum jail time of 48 hours.

Corporal Injury to a Spouse or Cohabitant: PC 243.5

This is one of the more serious domestic violence crimes. You may be charged if you willfully cause or inflict an injury or “traumatic condition” on an intimate partner. The offense is similar to a battery charge since the injury can be minor and need not constitute serious bodily injury. Merely pushing someone who falls and breaks an arm or sprains a joint satisfies the elements of this offense since you intended to push or even scare the person. Also, your action led to the injury, even if the resulting injury was not your intent since it was the natural and probable result of your conduct.

PC 243.5 is a wobbler, meaning it can be charged as either a misdemeanor or felony depending on the facts of the case, such as the severity of the conduct and injury and your criminal history. There are substantial enhancement factors that can dramatically increase your sentence if you have prior assault or domestic violence convictions within 7 years of the current offense, or if your actions resulted in serious bodily injury to the intimate partner.

Criminal Threats: PC 422

Very often, a domestic violence accusation is based on a threat to commit physical violence or to place the individual in fear of harm. The threat, though, cannot be equivocal or vague but must be direct and unmistakable as well as threaten imminent harm. It can be verbal or communicated in writing or in an email. Further, the victim’s fear must be real, reasonable or well-founded and not be momentary or fleeting. The threat of violence also must be intended to be committed now or in the immediate future.

Further, a threatening gesture such as moving your finger across your throat or pretending to punch another person is not considered a criminal threat.

Criminal threats are wobbler offenses. If convicted of a felony, the offender faces up to 3 years in state prison and a strike pursuant to California’s 3-Strikes law.

Elder Abuse: PC 368

Elder abuse is an offense against any person who is at least 65 years of age. It concerns not only physical violence against the person but also conduct that produces emotional distress, results in financial exploitation or places the senior in a dangerous situation where harm is likely to occur. The offender’s actions must have been willful or criminally negligent.

Elder abuse is often committed by family members or nursing home staff who may withhold medication, assault the senior or forge a signature on a Social Security check and misappropriate it. Constant verbal abuse may also constitute elder abuse if it causes undue mental suffering. Caretakers, nurses, physicians and social workers are required to report suspected abuse to law enforcement authorities.

Senior or elder abuse can be prosecuted as either a misdemeanor or felony. Some counties have special prosecutors to handle these allegations since these types of crimes are not uncommon. A felony conviction carries 2 to 4 years in state prison and a consecutive 3 to 7 year term if the senior suffers a serious bodily injury from the abusive conduct.

Telephone NumberCityCounty
(213) 444-0108Los AngelesLos Angeles County
(310) 715-8515Long BeachLos Angeles County
(310) 878-9366TorranceLos Angeles County
(310) 856-9372Culver CityLos Angeles County
(310) 438-5696Santa MonicaLos Angeles County
(323) 999-2019HollywoodLos Angeles County
(408) 457-0977San Jose AirportSanta Clara County
(408) 412-3012CampbellSanta Clara County
(408) 800-1636SAN JOSESanta Clara County
(415) 213-4858San Francisco Airport - San BrunoSan Francisco County
(415) 578-4725San RafaelMarin County
(415) 689-6050Financial DistrictSan Francisco County
(415) 723-0919San MateoSan Mateo County
(510) 698-2044OaklandAlameda County
(510) 859-7055BerkeleyAlameda County
(562) 888-4167CerritosLos Angeles County
(619) 777-6739Mission ValleySan Diego County
(619) 900-4220San DiegoSan Diego County
(626) 888-3148PasadenaLos Angeles County
(626) 800-1007West CovinaLos Angeles County
(626) 250-0005Diamond BarLos Angeles County
(661) 422-5172Santa ClaritaLos Angeles County
(661) 621-3646PalmdaleLos Angeles County
(714) 312-3699Anaheim HillsOrange County
(714) 510-2650South Coast Metro / Santa AnaOrange County
(714) 845-7805OrangeOrange County
(760) 239-7839Carlsbad / OceansideSan Diego County
(760) 618-5575EscondidoSan Diego County
(760) 995-2599VictorvilleSan Bernardino County
(805) 434-6752VenturaVentura County
(805) 517-4745BAKERSFIELDKern County
(818) 900-2862Sherman OaksLos Angeles County
(818) 600-2416Panorama CityLos Angeles County
(818) 724-4722Woodland HillsLos Angeles County
(818) 381-9443BurbankLos Angeles County
(858) 255-7558Mira MesaSan Diego County
(858) 451-4989Rancho BernardoSan Diego County
(858) 480-6958Del MarSan Diego County
(888) 608-6986Toll Free
(909) 333-6648Rancho Cucamonga / OntarioSan Bernardino County
(909) 979-3129Rancho Cucamonga FoothillSan Bernardino County
(909) 277-9027San BernardinoSan Bernardino County
(916) 243-0943Elk GroveSacramento County
(916) 672-2627RosevilleSacramento County
(916) 877-8167FolsomSacramento County
(916) 905-5395SacramentoSacramento County
(925) 233-5004San RamonAlameda County
(925) 364-5484Dublin / PleasantonAlameda County
(925) 478-7347Walnut CreekContra Costa County
(949) 467-9641IrvineOrange County
(951) 216-3539TemeculaRiverside County
(951) 444-9840Riverside / CoronaRiverside County
Telephone NumberCityCounty
(714) 312-3699Anaheim HillsOrange County
(805) 517-4745BAKERSFIELDKern County
(510) 859-7055BerkeleyAlameda County
(818) 381-9443BurbankLos Angeles County
(408) 412-3012CampbellSanta Clara County
(760) 239-7839Carlsbad / OceansideSan Diego County
(562) 888-4167CerritosLos Angeles County
(310) 856-9372Culver CityLos Angeles County
(858) 480-6958Del MarSan Diego County
(626) 250-0005Diamond BarLos Angeles County
(925) 364-5484Dublin / PleasantonAlameda County
(916) 243-0943Elk GroveSacramento County
(760) 618-5575EscondidoSan Diego County
(415) 689-6050Financial DistrictSan Francisco County
(916) 877-8167FolsomSacramento County
(323) 999-2019HollywoodLos Angeles County
(949) 467-9641IrvineOrange County
(310) 715-8515Long BeachLos Angeles County
(213) 444-0108Los AngelesLos Angeles County
(858) 255-7558Mira MesaSan Diego County
(619) 777-6739Mission ValleySan Diego County
(510) 698-2044OaklandAlameda County
(714) 845-7805OrangeOrange County
(661) 621-3646PalmdaleLos Angeles County
(818) 600-2416Panorama CityLos Angeles County
(626) 888-3148PasadenaLos Angeles County
(858) 451-4989Rancho BernardoSan Diego County
(909) 979-3129Rancho Cucamonga FoothillSan Bernardino County
(909) 333-6648Rancho Cucamonga / OntarioSan Bernardino County
(951) 444-9840Riverside / CoronaRiverside County
(916) 672-2627RosevilleSacramento County
(916) 905-5395SacramentoSacramento County
(909) 277-9027San BernardinoSan Bernardino County
(619) 900-4220San DiegoSan Diego County
(415) 213-4858San Francisco Airport - San BrunoSan Francisco County
(408) 800-1636SAN JOSESanta Clara County
(408) 457-0977San Jose AirportSanta Clara County
(415) 723-0919San MateoSan Mateo County
(415) 578-4725San RafaelMarin County
(925) 233-5004San RamonAlameda County
(661) 422-5172Santa ClaritaLos Angeles County
(310) 438-5696Santa MonicaLos Angeles County
(818) 900-2862Sherman OaksLos Angeles County
(714) 510-2650South Coast Metro / Santa AnaOrange County
(951) 216-3539TemeculaRiverside County
(888) 608-6986Toll Free
(310) 878-9366TorranceLos Angeles County
(805) 434-6752VenturaVentura County
(760) 995-2599VictorvilleSan Bernardino County
(925) 478-7347Walnut CreekContra Costa County
(626) 800-1007West CovinaLos Angeles County
(818) 724-4722Woodland HillsLos Angeles County
Telephone NumberCityCounty
(510) 859-7055BerkeleyAlameda County
(925) 364-5484Dublin / PleasantonAlameda County
(510) 698-2044OaklandAlameda County
(925) 233-5004San RamonAlameda County
(925) 478-7347Walnut CreekContra Costa County
(805) 517-4745BAKERSFIELDKern County
(818) 381-9443BurbankLos Angeles County
(562) 888-4167CerritosLos Angeles County
(310) 856-9372Culver CityLos Angeles County
(626) 250-0005Diamond BarLos Angeles County
(323) 999-2019HollywoodLos Angeles County
(213) 444-0108Los AngelesLos Angeles County
(310) 715-8515Long BeachLos Angeles County
(661) 621-3646PalmdaleLos Angeles County
(818) 600-2416Panorama CityLos Angeles County
(626) 888-3148PasadenaLos Angeles County
(661) 422-5172Santa ClaritaLos Angeles County
(310) 438-5696Santa MonicaLos Angeles County
(818) 900-2862Sherman OaksLos Angeles County
(310) 878-9366TorranceLos Angeles County
(626) 800-1007West CovinaLos Angeles County
(818) 724-4722Woodland HillsLos Angeles County
(415) 578-4725San RafaelMarin County
(714) 312-3699Anaheim HillsOrange County
(949) 467-9641IrvineOrange County
(714) 845-7805OrangeOrange County
(714) 510-2650South Coast Metro / Santa AnaOrange County
(951) 444-9840Riverside / CoronaRiverside County
(951) 216-3539TemeculaRiverside County
(916) 243-0943Elk GroveSacramento County
(916) 877-8167FolsomSacramento County
(916) 672-2627RosevilleSacramento County
(916) 905-5395SacramentoSacramento County
(909) 333-6648Rancho Cucamonga / OntarioSan Bernardino County
(909) 979-3129Rancho Cucamonga FoothillSan Bernardino County
(909) 277-9027San BernardinoSan Bernardino County
(760) 995-2599VictorvilleSan Bernardino County
(760) 239-7839Carlsbad / OceansideSan Diego County
(858) 480-6958Del MarSan Diego County
(760) 618-5575EscondidoSan Diego County
(858) 255-7558Mira MesaSan Diego County
(619) 777-6739Mission ValleySan Diego County
(858) 451-4989Rancho BernardoSan Diego County
(619) 900-4220San DiegoSan Diego County
(415) 689-6050Financial DistrictSan Francisco County
(415) 213-4858San Francisco Airport - San BrunoSan Francisco County
(415) 723-0919San MateoSan Mateo County
(408) 412-3012CampbellSanta Clara County
(408) 800-1636SAN JOSESanta Clara County
(408) 457-0977San Jose AirportSanta Clara County
(805) 434-6752VenturaVentura County
(888) 608-6986Toll Free
Domestic Battery
Corporal Injury to a Spouse
Criminal Threats
Elder Abuse

Domestic Battery: PC 243(e)(1)

Domestic battery also concerns a willful or intentional act on an intimate partner except that the injury can be trivial, though harmful or offensive, and need not have caused any pain to the victim. For a battery to occur, it can be any unwanted contact such as pushing or slapping the individual and doing so with the purpose or intent of committing harm. A battery also occurs regardless if the contact was not directly on the victim. For example, smashing the victim’s car window while the person was inside, snatching a necklace off the intimate partner or kicking the victim’s cat in the person’s presence could be charged as domestic battery.

Domestic battery is a misdemeanor though you can face aggravated battery charges, which can be charged as a felony if the intimate partner suffered serious bodily injury, and face state prison time. In many cases, the court will require the offender to attend a batterer’s treatment program for at least one year as a condition of probation. A subsequent domestic battery conviction results in a mandatory minimum jail time of 48 hours.


Possible Defenses to a Domestic Violence Charge

There are numerous defenses available to anyone charged with any of the above charges, some of which are dependent on the crime for which you are being prosecuted.

  • Self-defense. You can asset self-defense if you reasonably believed you or someone near you was in imminent danger of being harmed or unlawfully or offensively touched and that you needed to apply force to protect yourself or that other person. The force used must be only that required or necessary to defend yourself.
  • Lack of injury. If no injury occurred, then certainly you cannot be prosecuted under PC 243.5, corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant. You need not have produced a visible injury, though, to be charged with a battery offense or elder abuse.
  • Lack of a sustained or reasonable fear for one’s safety or well-being. To be prosecuted for criminal threats, the victim must have had a reasonable fear of the threat and it must have lasted for more than a moment. Merely being startled or being told by the defendant that he or she may get you some day may not be enough to constitute a crime.
  • False accusations. Many times, a jealous spouse or ex-dating partner or vengeful family member will fabricate a charge of assault or abuse. Often, a comprehensive medical examination will not contradict the accuser’s account of how an alleged injury occurred.
  • Mistaken assumptions. In some cases, someone who is required to report suspected abuse or domestic violence will report it to authorities. A criminal defense attorney may have to launch a separate investigation to exonerate the defendant by showing that either someone else was responsible or that some other plausible explanation explains the injury.
  • Violation of constitutional rights. Police must follow certain protocol that adheres to rights found in the federal and state constitutions regarding reasonable searches and seizures, extracting confessions and lawfully arresting someone.

Contact the Domestic Violence Attorney Group

A domestic violence accusation may be result of a mistake or a fabricated allegation from someone seeking retribution or vengeance against you. There are numerous cases where mitigating circumstances, unknown facts, misunderstandings or overzealous prosecutions result in unsubstantiated or excessive charges that our attorneys can examine and appropriately advise you. Promptly retaining an experienced domestic violence lawyer from the Domestic Violence Attorney Group can often mean the difference between getting your case dismissed, charges reduced, or having you plea to a different offense with lesser penalties. Sonoma County Domestic Violence Attorney – Experienced & Aggressive Lawyer and Lawyers Fighting for You in Sonoma County, California


About Sonoma County

Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest (in area) and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa.

Sonoma is the southwestern county and largest producer of California's Wine Country region, which also includes Napa, Mendocino, and Lake counties. It has 13 approved American Viticultural Areas and over 250 wineries. In 2002, Sonoma County ranked as the 32nd county in the United States in agricultural production. As early as 1920, Sonoma County was ranked as the eighth most agriculturally productive U.S county and a leading producer of poultry products, hops, grapes, prunes, apples and dairy products, largely due to the extent of available, fertile agricultural land, in addition to the abundance of high quality irrigation water. More than 7.4 million tourists visit each year, spending more than $1 billion in 2006. Sonoma County is the home of Sonoma State University and Santa Rosa Junior College.

Sonoma County is home to several Native American tribes. By the 1830s, European settlement had set a new direction that would prove to radically alter the course of land use and resource management of this region. As of 2007, Sonoma County has rich agricultural land, albeit now largely divided between two nearly monocultural uses: grapes and pasturage. The voters have twice approved open space initiatives that have provided funding for public acquisition of natural areas, preserving forested areas, coastal habitat, and other open space.

Sonoma was one of the original counties formed when California became a state in 1850, with its county seat originally the town of Sonoma. However, by the early 1850s, the town of Sonoma had declined in importance in terms of both commerce and population, its county buildings were crumbling, and it was relatively remote. As a result, elements in the newer, rapidly growing towns of Petaluma, Santa Rosa, and Healdsburg began vying to move the county seat to their towns. The dispute ultimately was between the bigger, richer commercial town of Petaluma and the more centrally located, growing agricultural center of Santa Rosa. The fate was decided following an election for the state legislature in which James Bennett of Santa Rosa defeated Joseph Hooker of Sonoma and introduced a bill that ultimately resulted in Santa Rosa being confirmed as county seat in 1854. Allegedly, several Santa Rosans, not caring to wait, decided to take action and, one night, rode down the Sonoma Valley to Sonoma, took the county seals and records, and brought them to Santa Rosa.

The county lies in the North Coast Ranges of northwestern California. Its ranges include the Mayacamas and the Sonoma Mountains, the southern peak of the latter being the prominent landform, Sears Point. The highest peak in the Mayacamas within the county is Hood Mountain. It has uncommon occurrences of pygmy forest, dominated by Mendocino Cypress. The highest peak of the Sonoma Mountains is Sonoma Mountain itself, which boasts two significant public access properties: Jack London State Historic Park and Fairfield Osborn Preserve.

The county includes the City of Sonoma and the Sonoma Valley, in which the City of Sonoma is located. However, these are not synonymous. The City of Sonoma is merely one of several incorporated cities in the county. The Sonoma Valley itself makes up only the southeastern portion of the county, which includes many other valleys and geographic zones. Moreover, the Sonoma Valley itself includes not only the City of Sonoma, but a portion of the City of Santa Rosa and the unincorporated communities of Kenwood, Agua Caliente, Boyes Hot Springs, and Fetters Hot Springs. Other regions of the county beyond the Sonoma Valley include, among others, the Petaluma Valley, the Santa Rosa Plains, the Russian River, the Alexander Valley, and the Dry Creek Valley.

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