Domestic Violence, Part 3: Definition

In the third part of our series on domestic violence, we’re going to take a look at the legal definition New Jersey uses for domestic violence and the punishments you could expect to receive if found guilty of the crime.

Domestic violence is a serious problem in New Jersey.  According to the New Jersey State Police, 70,311 domestic violence offenses were reported in 2011, a number that hasn’t decreased in the last few years. Of this number, only 21,000 of these cases ended in an arrest. But how many of these cases are legitimately a crime? Could just yelling at your significant other be considered domestic violence?

Well, it depends. The legal definition of domestic violence is when one member of a family or a household is abusive to another one. You don’t have to be married – as long as there is a relationship between the two parties then it can be considered domestic violence. And it doesn’t have to be a physical act. Other forms of abuse include:

• Emotional, such as name calling or humiliation
• Sexual, such as incest or rape
• Technological, such as cyber bullying
• Financial, such as getting the other party fired

So just having a verbal argument with a family member probably won’t bring the police to your front door, unless the argument is loud enough to alert your neighbors. But let’s say your family member has claimed abuse, even though there never has been any abuse. What evidence does there need to be in order to show that domestic violence occurred? Check out our next blog on Friday to find out!

If you’ve been falsely accused of domestic violence in New Jersey, you’re going to need an experienced criminal defense attorney by your side. Contact the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone today for a free consultation.

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