Walk It Through: The Night of the Assault at Home
A partner's hands on a throat, an arrest without a warrant, a petition with no fee, and a hearing within seventy two hours.
During an argument, a live in partner grabs the other's throat. The partner gets free and calls police the next morning.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
Abuse by someone the victim lives with. A dating partner who never lived there is covered too, but stalking by a stranger uses the separate stalking order.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- FelonyA crime that can be punished by death or by imprisonment for more than one year. Every other crime is a misdemeanor.
- Household memberSpouses and former spouses, people who live or lived together as a couple, parents and adult children, other adults sharing a home, parents of a child together, and people who are or were dating.
- Domestic abusePhysical abuse or threats of it by a household member, causing physical harm, unreasonably restraining liberty, putting someone in reasonable fear of imminent harm, or forcing sexual activity.
- Order of protectionA court order for a victim of domestic abuse that can bar contact, give possession of the home and protect children and property, lasting up to three years.