Domestic Violence Charges – Blog 15:  Affidavits of Non-Prosecution and What Happens with the “Victim” Doesn’t Want the Case Prosecuted?

December 27, 2020

By Criminal Defense Lawyer Jeremy Rosenthal

(972) 369-0577

jeremy@texasdefensefirm.com

This most common question I get in domestic violence cases is this:  if the victim doesn’t want to prosecute then won’t the case go away?

The answer is the “victim” or “complaining witness” has the legal power of a witness in a criminal proceeding and nothing more.  The prosecuting attorney makes the decision whether to go forward with a family violence charge.  Will the prosecuting attorney go along with the “victim’s” request to dismiss charges?  This is the million-dollar question which is different in every case.

Some District or County Attorney Offices are policy-driven to reject affidavits of non-prosecution and others take them on a case by case basis and will occasionally not pursue assault charges.

District Attorneys, County Attorneys and occasionally city prosecutors who review assault cases and affidavits of non-prosecution are public servants.  In theory, you would think they would be sensitive to pleasing the person they purport to protect.  Again, sometimes they do listen to victims of domestic abuse and sometimes they don’t.

Here is an index to the other blogs on domestic violence in this series.

Affidavits of Non-Prosecution

An affidavit of non-prosecution (“ANP”) is a statement made, typically under oath, where the complaining witness makes a statement to the effect they do not wish the case to proceed.  An ANP has no real legal power and it’s a very common misconception that it does carry with it a requirement the police or prosecutors obey it.

Why Police or Prosecutors Might Not Care About an Affidavit of Non-Prosecution?

I’ve blogged a lot about the Duluth Model in domestic violence and the “cycle of violence” along with the “power and control wheel.”  Those prevailing thoughts in law enforcement hold the abuser is all-powerful and has taken emotional control over the victim.

When many police and/or prosecutors see an ANP from a victim – it only confirms to them these concepts and theories are true.  They think the affidavit of non-prosecution is either forced, coerced, or done out of self-blaming guilt.  I’m sure sometimes they are right.

Also, as I wrote above, some offices are driven by policy of rejecting affidavit’s of non-prosecution.  They may feel self-assured enough that each and every case of domestic abuse allegations are the same — or they may simply be under pressure from third party advocacy groups such as battered women shelters to have such a policy.

What Happens when the Prosecution Makes one Spouse Testify Against the Other Against Their Will?

This happens.  I’m frequently asked if one spouse can lawfully refuse to testify against the other and the answer is no – assuming that spouse has been lawfully subpoenaed.

The prosecution can cause a subpoena to be issued which is a lawful court order requiring the witness in the case to come to court and testify under oath.  A judge can also compel a witness to testify and answer questions about instances of alleged domestic violence because the marital privilege does not extend to protect one spouse from testifying about the other accused of a crime.

It’s an unusual dynamic because the prosecution is put in a position of cross-examining their own “victim” in a case and in certain cases the complaining witness themselves may be entitled to counsel depending on the specifics of the situation.  You would think a prosecutor would do everything in their power to avoid being in this position but many prosecutors feel they are fulfilling a greater good by conducting a case this way.

The Firewall – The Jury

The good news is if all these things come to pass with the prosecution rejecting an ANP, forcing the case to trial and compelling one spouse to testify against the other — the defendant has the firewall or last resort of having a jury decide the case.

Juries aren’t subject to the DA’s offices policies and they have to be convinced the prosecutors crusade to convict one spouse over the other ones wishes is meritorious — and experience tells me that’s a very hard sell.

Even if the prosecutor doesn’t want to dismiss a case because a complaining witness says so — doesn’t mean the case doesn’t often finish with a two-word “not guilty” verdict.

*Jeremy Rosenthal is certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.  He is recognized as a Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters.

 


Can the Victim Drop Assault Charges?

September 14, 2010

By Dallas and Collin County Criminal Defense Lawyer Jeremy Rosenthal

(972) 562-7549

texasdefensefirm.com

In a criminal case in Texas — not directly.  In a civil case — yes.

Assault charges can be brought two different ways in Texas — in a criminal court or (far less commonly) in a civil lawsuit.  A civil lawsuit can be brought by the alleged victim to recover money while a criminal charge is brought by the State seeking a criminal conviction on the accused’s record.  Civil cases can always be dropped by the person bringing the suit.

In a criminal action, the parties are the State of Texas and the accused.  The victim is not directly a party to the action and is really more accurately characterized as a witness.  An alleged victim can request that charges be dropped, but the prosecuting attorney does not have to honor that request.

Many prosecutors will ask an alleged victim for what is known as an “affidavit of non-prosecution” or an ANP for short if they don’t want to prosecute.  An ANP is a statement under oath which details the reasons for their not wanting to prosecute.

An alleged victim has potential legal exposure for making a false police report in the event they admit statements on their ANP that are inconsistent with what they originally told police.  For this reason, an alleged victim should seek counsel as well prior to doing an affidavit of non-prosecution (not the same lawyer defending the assault case — that would be a conflict of interest for the lawyer).

The Bottom Line

Assault cases — especially ones involving alleged family violence or spousal abuse — aren’t necessarily dismissed in Texas courts merely because the victim wants the case to be dismissed.  The matters are complicated and the alleged victim should seek a lawyer in addition to the accused having a lawyer where the alleged victim is seeking to ask for charges to be dropped.

*Jeremy Rosenthal is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice.  For specific legal advice about any specific situation, you should consult an attorney directly.


False Report to Peace Officer In Domestic Assault Cases

August 10, 2010

By Dallas and Collin County Criminal Defense Lawyer Jeremy Rosenthal

(972) 562-7549

texasdefensefirm.com

It is illegal in Texas for a person to make a false report to a peace officer or a law enforcement employee.  Texas Penal Code 37.08 is the governing statute.  That provision states,

“(a)  A person commits an offense if, with intent to deceive, he knowingly makes a false statement that is material to a criminal investigation and makes the statement to:

“(1)  a peace officer conducting the investigation; or

“(2)  any employee of a law enforcement agency that is authorized by the agency to conduct the investigation and that the actor knows is conducting the investigation.

“(b)  In this section, “law enforcement agency” has the meaning assigned by Article 59.01, Code of Criminal Procedure.

“(c)  An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor.

A common situation where this law comes into play is in assault/ family violence cases.  Often, alleged victims of an assault will seek to retract or deny having made a previous statement to law enforcement.  In those situations, they could actually be exposing themselves to criminal liability for making a false statement.

It is not uncommon in assault/ family violence situations for alleged victims to seek counsel of their own (not the same attorney representing their spouse charged with assault) if they retract their original statement or admit under oath that their original statement was false.  The alleged victim has important rights in this scenario as well and a lawyer can help protect them from incurring legal liability themselves in these cases.

*Jeremy Rosenthal is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas. Nothing in this article should be considered legal advice.  For specific legal advice for any specific situation you should directly consult an attorney.