- Moderator
- #21
You guys familiar with the criminal justice system at all?
Domestic violence cases are often a waste of time. Not because the crime isn't serious. But because we have:
1) A he said/she said incident with little other evidence
2) A "victim" who is often very likely to have started the incident and then calls the cop when the other "wins"
3) A victim who doesn't want to press charges and will never show up to court because they've gotten back together with the defendent or because he/she will be facing charges and arrest for something else when they show up in court.
I don't know about elsewhere, but most of the defendents I see end up doing Anger Management and pleading out a Disorderly conduct. The effort and cost for the State is just to prohibitive to take all these cases through the justice system unless there have been serious injuries. Most of these cases should be settled between the couple or through Civil court.
Domestic violence cases are often a waste of time. Not because the crime isn't serious. But because we have:
1) A he said/she said incident with little other evidence
2) A "victim" who is often very likely to have started the incident and then calls the cop when the other "wins"
3) A victim who doesn't want to press charges and will never show up to court because they've gotten back together with the defendent or because he/she will be facing charges and arrest for something else when they show up in court.
I don't know about elsewhere, but most of the defendents I see end up doing Anger Management and pleading out a Disorderly conduct. The effort and cost for the State is just to prohibitive to take all these cases through the justice system unless there have been serious injuries. Most of these cases should be settled between the couple or through Civil court.