What Circumstances Lead to Domestic Violence Charges in Illinois

 Posted on June 06, 2019 in Uncategorized

Illinois police respond to roughly 120,000 domestic violence calls that result in criminal charges each year. In the majority of those cases, the offender is charged with domestic battery, meaning that one member of a family or household physically attacked another member. A review of arrest data for Will County and the state of Illinois provides an interesting perspective on the circumstances that generally lead to crimes of domestic violence.

Illinois Statistics on Domestic Battery and Related Crimes

The Crime in Illinois report reveals that more than half of all domestic crime cases involve couples who are not married but have dated, lived together, or share a child together. Parent/child cases represent about 20% of domestic crimes, spouses or ex-spouses 15%, and other family members such as siblings 11%.

Where a domestic battery incident resulted in obvious physical injury, the injuries were severe in just 2% of reported cases. Severe injuries include loss of teeth, unconsciousness, broken bones, possible internal injuries, and severe lacerations. However, be aware that you can be charged with domestic battery even if the victim shows no signs of injury. Proof that you made physical contact with the victim is enough to support a conviction.

Domestic Battery Incidents in Will County

Alcohol often plays a role in domestic incidents. In one recent situation in Joliet, a 27-year-old man was arrested for domestic battery. The man had been drinking when he got into an argument with the victim. When the victim, his girlfriend, took a drink from the man’s hand, he pushed her to the ground. The man spent at least two days in jail prior to being released on bond.

Repeat offenses of domestic battery are a particular concern, especially when they show a pattern of escalating violence. Consider the case of this 36-year-old Minooka man. In 2003 and 2005, he was convicted twice of misdemeanor domestic battery and fined just $200 in each case. In 2017, he was convicted a third time; the charge was a Class 4 felony due to his prior conviction, and he received two years of probation. In 2018, he was convicted of aggravated domestic battery by strangulation, a Class 2 felony and sentenced to 30 months of probation and 75 days in the Will County jail. In 2019, the man was arrested again on a charge of aggravated domestic battery. If convicted, the minimum sentence for repeating this offense is three years in prison.

Experienced Will County Domestic Battery Defense Lawyer

A domestic battery charge is a serious matter. Unlike other misdemeanors, you cannot get court supervision for domestic battery. In addition, a conviction for domestic battery cannot be expunged from your record nor sealed from public view at any time in the future. To have any chance of keeping a domestic battery conviction off your record, you need an aggressive Joliet criminal defense lawyer. Call the Law Offices of Jack L. Zaremba, P.C. at 815-740-4025 for a free consultation.