THE CONSEQUENCES OF A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CONVICTION IN WISCONSIN

If you have been arrested and charged with domestic violence, law enforcement may be offering you a quick plea agreement. Whether you accept a deal offered by prosecutors depends on a number of factors. One thing that you should consider when deciding if you should fight the charges is the effect that a domestic violence conviction can have on your life going forward. Here are a number of impacts of a domestic assault conviction.

If you have been accused of domestic In Wisconsin, if one causes "substantial bodily harm" to another in a battery case, they will be charged with a Class I felony. Aggravated battery carries an even stiffer penalty. Monetarily, each domestic violence conviction can mean a fine of up to $10,000. 

Here are the possible jail sentences for domestic violence convictions in Wisconsin:

• Battery (misdemeanor) - up to nine months in prison
• Substantial battery (felony) - up to 3 ½ years in prison
• Aggravated battery (felony) - prison sentence of up to six or 15 years, depending on the severity of the bodily harm

Impacts on Your Life from a Domestic Violence Conviction

The criminal sentence is only part of the consequences of a domestic violence conviction. There could be numerous effects in life that stretch even longer after the sentence is completed.

The good news for defendants in Wisconsin is that there are some protections when it comes to your job. However, employers do have an avenue to firing an employee for a domestic violence conviction. Specifically, if a conviction, or even an arrest, substantially relates to your job, then the employer can fire you. If you have applied for a job and this comes up on a background check, they can legally not hire you because of this.

In addition, you may not be able to obtain a security clearance or pass other background checks. This could particularly hurt you if you work in a profession that automatically bars people convicted of certain felonies.

Beyond that, a domestic violence conviction can harm your reputation. There is a stigma to this type of charge and conviction, and public news of the case could cause lasting damage to employment prospects and your other legal statuses. For instance, a domestic violence conviction can hurt you in the following areas:

• Child custody cases
• Immigration status
• Some public assistance programs
• Right to purchase and own firearms

Thus, you can see why you need to look at all angles of the situation when you are facing domestic assault charges. In some cases, you are better off fighting the charges against you with your criminal defense lawyer. Alternatively, you may try to have the charges reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor.

Experienced Criminal Defense Attorneys

If you are facing domestic assault or any other criminal charges, contact the attorneys at Cohen Law Offices online or call us at 

(715) 514-5051 to set up your free initial consultation. The sooner you contact a lawyer, the sooner you can rest assured that your rights are protected.