It is not uncommon to hear or read accounts of domestic disturbances in Chattanooga news media. We read a recent Hamilton County arrest report that listed multiple arrests for domestic violence by both men and women.
A 22-year-old Chattanooga woman was charged with domestic assault, and so was a 48-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman. A 32-year-old woman was arrested for aggravated assault (domestic) and so was a 29-year-old Chattanooga man. The arrests cut across lines such as race, gender, income, education levels and more.
The charges in all of the cases are serious ones that should be addressed as quickly as possible with the help of qualified legal representation that can protect rights and freedom at every step of the legal process.
So what is domestic assault in Tennessee? It’s an assault on someone who is a family or household member, such as:
- A current or former spouse
- A person with whom the defendant lives or previously resided
- A person who the defendant is dating or has dated, or is someone the defendant is now in or was previously in a sexual relationship
- A relative by blood or adoption or marriage
- A child of the defendant or a child of a family or household member
Of course, in many cases allegations of domestic violence are leveled at the wrong person or are simply the result of deliberately false accusations. In many situations, the defendant was actually acting in self-defense or acted to protect children or others in the household.
Contact a Chattanooga attorney experienced in domestic violence defense to learn more about your legal options.
