Domestic Violence With No Eyewitnesses
Domestic violence in real life does not look like it does in the movies. Sometimes domestic violence survivors do not tell anyone about the abuse they have experienced until years later, until they are far enough from the family member who committed the violence that he or she cannot easily retaliate. Therapists know this. So do friends who always have a guest at holiday dinners who does not want to spend the holidays with his or her family of origin; often, many years’ worth of holidays pass before the guest tells the whole story. When police get a call about domestic violence in the moment, the chances are less than 50 percent that it will lead to a criminal conviction, even if the police arrest someone as soon as they arrive at the house; more often than not, the parties reconcile and refuse to testify against each other. It is possible for prosecutors to prove that domestic violence happened, even when there were no eyewitnesses to the attack except the accuser; healthcare professionals and other witnesses who saw the accuser’s injuries shortly after the attack may be able to persuade the jury that these injuries resulted from domestic violence. The defendant’s defense, in this case, may need to focus on lack of evidence that the defendant was the one who caused the injuries, since no one else saw him or her do it. Here, our Miami domestic violence defense lawyer explains how a case might proceed if a family member accuses you of domestic violence when you are not present to speak for yourself.
Nothing Good Ever Happens at an Airline Ticket Counter
No one ever said that buying airline tickets was easy. They cost a bundle, and the chatbots and automated voice recordings you must get past before a human being will help you modify your tickets are truly infuriating. Most of the time, though, you eventually get a live person on the line to help you make your reservation. As for paying for your tickets, certain airlines will let a friend or family member float you some of his or her frequent flyer miles, and some ticketing websites let you buy your tickets with buy now pay later (BNPL). You only go to a ticket counter in an airport when things are really bad.
Earlier this year, a woman approached the ticket counter at Palm Beach International Airport and asked to buy a ticket to the city where the rest of her family lived. The woman was visibly injured; she had bruises around both of her eyes, and her face was noticeably swollen. Before the ticket agents could finalize her reservation, she collapsed on the floor of the airport. First responders attended to her and determined that she was having a seizure, and they transported her to the hospital.
Several hours later, police arrested the woman’s estranged husband at the couple’s home, on suspicion of domestic violence. They took him to jail and set his bond at $90,000.
A Hope Card Does Not Prove You Guilty Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
The defendant cannot plausibly deny that his wife suffered traumatic injuries to her face. If he pleads not guilty, though, he may be able to show that there is insufficient evidence to prove that he was the cause of the injuries. During the window of time where no third parties can definitively account for his whereabouts or hers, she could have gotten injured some other way; perhaps someone else assaulted her.
It does not help the defendant’s case that he has a history of domestic violence; prospective jurors who follow the news closely will know about how domestic violence was the cause of the breakup of his first marriage. Most of this is not admissible as evidence, though. In fact, so many people have repeatedly committed domestic violence and not gotten convicted until it escalated to deadly levels that Florida lawmakers passed a new law last year whereby the court issues a Hope Card to all petitioners in restraining order cases related to domestic violence, even those that do not result in criminal convictions. This way, when police respond to a subsequent call, they can see the card in the accuser’s wallet and know that the family has a history of domestic violence.
Contact Our Criminal Defense Attorneys
A South Florida criminal defense lawyer can help you defend yourself against criminal charges for domestic violence. Contact Ratzan & Faccidomo in Miami, Florida for a confidential consultation about your case.
Source:
palmbeachpost.com/story/news/crime/2025/06/04/michelin-star-chef-arrested-on-domestic-violence-charges-in-west-palm-beach-konro/84026916007/
