Domestic Violence Jail Time in Florida
Domestic violence in Florida is taken extremely seriously. The penalties can vary greatly depending on previous criminal history of the defendant, the court will look to see if there have been previous arrests for domestic violence and non-domestic violence charges, prior injunctions and use this information to determine the sanctions and penalties.
A charge of domestic violence battery is considered a first-degree misdemeanor in Florida, which means it is punishable as follows:
- Up to 1 year in jail
- One year probation
- $1000 fine
In addition to statutory penalties for the first-degree misdemeanor, there are additional consequences, a conviction for “domestic violence battery” could also result in the following sanctions:
- Minimum mandatory 5-days in jail if injuries occurred
- Mandatory completion of Batterers Intervention Program
- Ineligible for expungement or sealing of criminal record
- Loss of right to have a gun while on probation (despite of it being a misdemeanor)
- Revocation of concealed weapons permit
If domestic violence is charged with another offense, the penalties could of course be greater. Please know that every case is different, therefore a thorough evaluation from one of our criminal defense lawyers is recommended. It is important to note that in some cases the accuser may look to drop the charges, however, under Florida Law, the victim cannot drop the charges, only the State Attorney can. Therefore, even if the accuser tells you they are going to drop the charges, please know that is not as easily done, call us today for a free consultation with one of our experienced “Domestic Violence Lawyers”.
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