Domestic Violence Charges – Blog 17:  Plea Bargaining in Family Assault Cases

December 29, 2020

By DFW Criminal Defense Lawyer Jeremy Rosenthal

(972) 369-0577

www.texasdefensefirm.com

Only 6% of state criminal cases go to jury trial.  That means 94% are disposed of some other way.  Those could be plea bargains or dismissals.  Some dismissals are by agreement where the defendant takes classes, performs community service and/or completes other tasks and is basically a plea bargain without actually resulting in a plea.

Courtroom lawyers love to talk-tough.  And I’m no exception because I eat nails for breakfast in the morning before dazzling every jury I see.  But what we don’t brag about much are our plea-bargains.  Plea bargaining doesn’t make wonderful fodder for lawyers web pages so you don’t hear lawyers talk about it much.  Again – 94% of cases don’t go to trial so even the lawyers who talk the meanest game in town plea bargain far more cases than they take to trial.  It’s just a fact.

Anyone who has come to see me about their case knows I analytically evaluate every case as if we are preparing for trial.  They teach us in law school to start with the jury charge and go backwards.  And I don’t wear my plea bargains on my sleeve either but candidly it’s where I do some of my best work of getting clients out of really bad jams.

Read here for an index to other domestic violence related blogs.

When Plea Bargaining Makes Sense

Domestic violence is an area where sometimes we simply can’t plead guilty.  It could trigger immigration, professional licensing, or other consequences we cannot accept.  So this is the first question – can the client afford the consequences of a guilty plea in a family violence case?

Pleading guilty or not guilty is always the client’s choice.  Some folks don’t have the stomach for trial.  Trial in a domestic violence case normally takes a day or two but can take a week or more.  I have fun in trial but that’s because I’m not worried about going to jail when it’s over and I’m not worried someone on the jury or someone who just wanders into the open courtroom might know me and post the affair on social media.  I discourage the idea of pleading guilty just to avoid a trial most likely in front of strangers but again – it’s my client’s choice and not mine.

Pleading guilty or no contest may also make sense in cases where I honestly tell my client the odds for an acquittal are long given the specific facts of any cases… and I go through a cost/benefit analysis with my client about the pros and cons of taking the case to trial.

Important Factors in Getting a Favorable Plea Bargain

When someone is pleading guilty or no contest (there is no legal difference which matters in criminal law) – they are accepting responsibility.  It’s important for folks to remember this.  If someone is going to take responsibility for the charges against them – then I always advise clients to do so sincerely, earnestly and whole-heartedly.

Beyond this if someone is going to take responsibility they also take on the onus of not only promising not to do it again but taking the affirmative actions necessary to make sure and guarantee it doesn’t happen again.  This may include accepting anger management, marriage counseling, or a batterer’s intervention program.

Often substance abuse and/or psychological disorders need to be addressed as part of the underlying causes.  So a person may need to accept evaluations along with follow-up recommendations.

If someone is willing to face their decisions and demons to make sure a domestic assault doesn’t happen again then it obviously bodes well for plea bargaining.

Ultimately plea bargaining is far more common than taking a case to trial though many of my colleagues pretend otherwise to the public and to one another.  It never hurts to have a good strategy of an exit-ramp in a case which can often be a plea bargain my client finds acceptable.

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


Domestic Violence Charges – Blog 10:  Asserting a Legal Defense to Assault

December 21, 2020

By Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer Jeremy Rosenthal

jeremy@texasdefensefirm.com

(972) 369-0577

There is no area in Texas criminal law where understanding how defenses work is more important than in assaultive cases.

The goal of today’s blog in my continuing series on defending domestic violence charges is to provide an analytical framework to help understand how defenses such as self defense, consent, necessity or even insanity fit in to and acquit someone in an assault case.

The Jury Charge

In law school they teach us to plan backwards for trial.  We start with what is known as a jury charge.  The jury charge is the 3, 4 or 10 pages of instructions given to the jury when they deliberate by the judge.

The main goal when you assert a defense in a criminal case is to have the judge instruct the jury that if your defense has enough merit – you win.  A defendant does not have to assert a defense – but if they do – it will not be in the jury charge unless there is evidence supporting the defense.

A jury charge in an assault case where defenses have been proffered can read like a tennis match.  If the prosecution has proven x, but because of the defense you believe y then you shall acquit the defendant.  Without the defense in the jury charge it would simply read “if the prosecution has proven x then you shall convict.”

General Defenses vs. Affirmative Defenses

Here’s the super confusing stuff – and I’ll make it as simple as possible.  Almost all defenses in an assault case will be an affirmative defense.

An affirmative defense relates to excused conduct and a general defense relates to an inability to understand one own actions.

Affirmative Defenses

Affirmative defenses require the defense to prove enough facts to the judge so that he/she puts it into the jury charge at the end of the trial.  Those facts usually admit the crime but offer a reason or justification (such as self defense, consent, or necessity).

If defendant is able to raise the affirmative defense, then the judge instructs the jury that the prosecution must DIS-prove the defense beyond a reasonable doubt.  This is a very high burden for the prosecutor to do.

So for a self defense case – the prosecution in addition to having to prove all of the basic elements of assault were proven beyond a reasonable doubt now has an additional set of elements they must disprove:  that it was self defense.

General Defenses

These typically include insanity, mistake of law, mistake of fact, duress and entrapment.  They all essentially go to “did the defendant know what they were doing was wrong” or in some instances was the defendant’s will simply over-powered.

The defense has the burden to prove in these cases by a preponderance of the evidence their defense is true.  The burden doesn’t shift to the prosecution unlike in affirmative defenses.

So Here’s How this Works:

 

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

 


Domestic Violence Charges – Blog 9:  Violation of a Protective Order

December 20, 2020

By Collin County Criminal Defense Lawyer Jeremy Rosenthal

(972) 369-0577

www.texasdefensefirm.com

Domestic assault charges are bad enough but those charges come with the ability to often defend the case over things such as exaggerated accusations, self-defense or consent.  Violation of a Protective Order, by contrast, is not only more cut and dry factually but it also threatens some of the leniency we might be seeking.

VPO charges typically only hinge on whether the accused made contact with the complaining witness which can simply be proven-up by phone or text records.  Or, if the accused came to the house and wasn’t supposed to be within 200 yards then the case is as simple for the prosecution as calling the complaining witness to testify about it or a police officer if one was called to the scene.

It is often the case where, ironically, the underlying assault is easier to deal with than the Violation of a Protective Order charge.

Notice

One key component of VPO arrests is the prosecution does have to prove Defendant had notice of the order.  The order is typically done by a magistrate judge while the person is in custody for the assault.  The order is often placed in the person’s property as they are leaving the jail for the assault arrest.

I’ve unfortunately seen many VPO charges based on the accused being released from jail and then calling the complaining witness from the hallway in the jail as they are leaving.

Penalties for Violating a Protective Order

VPO is generally a class a misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year in the county jail and a fine not to exceed $4k (the same as the most common arrest for domestic violence – assault causing bodily injury).

Multiple violations of a protective order obviously up the ante and make it a felony.  Tex.Pen.C. 25.072 make repeated protective order violations a 3rd degree felony (between 2 and 10 years TDC).  This is if a protective order has been violated two or more times.

The “Protected Person” Cannot Invalidate or Give Permission to Violate

The legislature requires a specific admonishment be in all protective orders.  They anticipated almost all common scenarios and cut them off as defenses for those accused. Specifically that no person can give permission to violate the protective order.

A more confounding issue is what happens when the protected person is the one who continually attempts and solicitations the violation of the protective order.  Does it make that person a co-conspirator?  A party to the offense?  The issue can be really confounding.

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

 

 


Domestic Violence Charges – Blog 6: Impeding Breath or Circulation (Choking)

December 17, 2020

By Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer Jeremy Rosenthal

(972) 369-0577

jeremy@texasdefensefirm.com

In 2009 the Texas Legislature carved out the specific new criminal offense of choking and made it a 3rd degree felony.  Texas Penal Code 22.01(b)(2)(B) is today’s topic in my continuing series on defending domestic violence charges.

The prohibition against impeding breath or circulation of the airway is legally unique insofar as it is a departure from the charge from being result-oriented and makes it conduct oriented.

Tex.Pen.C. 22.01(b)(2)(B) reads accordingly:

…the offense is committed by intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of the person by applying pressure to the person’s throat or neck or by blocking the person’s nose or mouth.

Choking is Hard to Prove

A challenge prosecutors and police have is choking is a hard offense to prove medically or physically.  Only 16% of cases present with major significant medical injury according to one study.  62% of cases present with no visible injury at all and 22% of cases had only minor injuries such as red marks or scratching.  The experts I’ve heard testify in the field claim it’s due to the soft tissue and muscle in the neck.

Things I See In Choking Cases

When police go to the scene of a domestic situation – they know the law and they know what evidence they need to make an arrest.  They fish for magic words they need to make an arrest…

“Did it cause pain…?”

“Did the contact offend you…?”

“Did it impede your airway…?”

Police know choking is a higher charge and they’re specifically looking for this.  It’s not uncommon, then, for us to see pictures of complaining witness’ necks with little or no evidence of trauma.

Blind Lumpers

Another trend I’ve noticed in DV cases are what I call “blind lumpers.”  I’ve even written an article on it published in Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Voice for the Defense Magazine.

A blind lumper is an expert witness who doesn’t know any specifics of the case (blind), and they lump all person’s charged with domestic violence into one neat and convenient pile (lumpers).

Translation:  a medical professional takes the witness stand and says “I don’t know anything about this case… but just because there’s no evidence of choking doesn’t make him innocent.”

This type of testimony — while true — is mainly calculated to take evidence of innocence (no marks on a neck) and turn it into a tie.  Do you know what the neck of someone who didn’t get choked would look like?  It wouldn’t show any marks either.

Impeding the Airway is a Legally Quirky Charge

A final note about choking cases is this – because it’s not result oriented, courts find it difficult to square it with other assault oriented offenses.

Here’s what I mean – because assault charges are typically result based, if the prosecution can’t prove the higher level assault they can often still prove a lesser one.  For example if the prosecution alleges aggravated assault because of serious bodily injury – but at trial the jury only believes there was bodily injury then the jury could still convict defendant if given the option for what is known as a lesser-included offense.

Because choking is focused on manner in which the assault occurred – the prosecution risks an all-or-nothing allegation at trial.

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


Domestic Violence Charges – Blog 3: What Constitutes a Dating or Household Relationship?

December 14, 2020

By Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer Jeremy Rosenthal

(972) 369-0577

www.texasdefensefirm.com

There are two legal components to assault/ family violence cases.  The first I discussed yesterday when I generally outlined what the legal definition of assault was.  The second component is what constitutes a household or dating relationship?

If there is a “household or dating relationship” it triggers an “affirmative finding of family violence” or “AFFV”  This is what separates domestic assaults legally from ordinary assaults.  The AFFV is what gives spousal or domestic abuse the additional severity.

The Legalese of Affirmative Findings of Family Violence

Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 42.013 requires a court to make an affirmative finding of family violence if the offense constituted family violence under Texas Family Code. 71.004.

Turning to the definition of 71.004, family violence is defined as:

(1) an act by a member of a family or household against another member of the family or household that is intended to result in physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or sexual assault or that is a threat that reasonably places the member in fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or sexual assault, but does not include defensive measures to protect oneself;
(2) abuse, as that term is defined by Sections 261.001(1)(C), (E), (G), (H), (I), (J), (K), and (M), by a member of a family or household toward a child of the family or household; or
(3) dating violence, as that term is defined by Section 71.0021.
Digging into Tex.Fam.C. 71.0021, it is very clear the relationship includes persons who are currently engaged in a dating relationship as well as from a relationship in the past:
(a) “Dating violence” means an act, other than a defensive measure to protect oneself, by an actor that:
(1) is committed against a victim or applicant for a protective order:
(A) with whom the actor has or has had a dating relationship; or
(B) because of the victim’s or applicant’s marriage to or dating relationship with an individual with whom the actor is or has been in a dating relationship or marriage; and
(2) is intended to result in physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or sexual assault or that is a threat that reasonably places the victim or applicant in fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or sexual assault.
(b) For purposes of this title, “dating relationship” means a relationship between individuals who have or have had a continuing relationship of a romantic or intimate nature. The existence of such a relationship shall be determined based on consideration of:
(1) the length of the relationship;
(2) the nature of the relationship; and
(3) the frequency and type of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship.
(c) A casual acquaintanceship or ordinary fraternization in a business or social context does not constitute a “dating relationship” under Subsection (b).
In Plain English
In the vast majority of cases there is no issue as to whether this is domestic violence or not.  But the matter can get cloudy.  What about roommates?  There are no cases reported where a complaining witness is a roommate, but legally the point could be debatable.  Also, the term “family member” can mean adult children who no longer live within the house.  So a fistfight between adult siblings or parents at the family Christmas party could be considered domestic violence.
*Jeremy Rosenthal is certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.  He is recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters.