Relationships often start out with intense emotions and strong feelings of love and care for the other person. Unfortunately, after years of “being” with someone, those relationships can sour and conflicts can and often do occur. Even the most loving couples can have their own violent episodes, despite the fact that each partner may be a decent and caring individual outside of the volatile relationship.

Were you arrested for domestic violence in the Los Angeles area? If you were, you have good reason to be concerned about your future. Domestic violence, especially those episodes that result in bodily injuries is highly frowned upon in the state of California. The types of conflicts that used to be “kept behind closed doors” are now broadcasted to the police and members of the community. The stigma that a domestic violence charge brings can haunt the defendant for the rest of their life, destroying their reputation both personally and professionally.

Inflicting injuries on your partner or your spouse can have serious consequences; however, just because someone was injured, doesn’t mean that it was intentional or done without a valid reason. Many times people have little other choice but to hurt their spouse or partner when they are protecting their child or when they are protecting themselves. They can also strike their spouse or stop them by other physical means when their spouse is violently beating a beloved pet such as a dog or cat.

Physical injuries don’t necessarily tell the entire story or the whole truth. They can be self-inflicted by a mentally unstable or jealous spouse. A spiteful spouse can allege that you were responsible for such injuries as a tactic for gaining custody over your children. Or, a volatile fight can accidentally result in injuries that were never intended by the alleged assailant. For example, a spouse can throw a vase in anger which accidentally strikes the other person, even though it was not aimed at them or intended to hurt them.

Many times the very people who are eventually charged with domestic violence were the real victims on a number of occasions, or over a period of years, yet they were too afraid to come forward. If they finally fought back and their attacker called the police on them, they can wind up being sent to jail. » Read more: Domestic Violence and Actual Injuries