Domestic Violence and Equal Rights

Domestic Violence and Equal Rights .

It is a horrible thing to be a victim of domestic violence, involved in a relationship where a person is verbally and physically abused and made to feel powerless and hopeless.

Until domestic violence was treated seriously by the courts and society, people often were heard to speak of a “good husband” by saying “he has never lifted his hand to his wife.” Just as often, men and sometimes women would justify a slap or a punch by a husband to his wife as “she had it coming!”

For many years, society has worked to improve the lives of what was once the province of married women. Today, many people involved in relationships or former relationships are unmarried, with or without children. Domestic violence laws in California and elsewhere have changed to include all nature of romantic or sexual relationships, including “friends with benefits”

The victim of a domestic violence case is often now a man. In the old movies, a man would insult a woman and receive a sharp slap across his face! In today’s society, a man is sometimes the victimized member of a couple—slapped, scratched, verbally abused, chased by a spouse armed with a weapon.

For many years, it has been expected that the man should be able to “take it”, and not complain if his wife is violent toward him. Now when the police arrive at the scene of domestic violence, they may see two parties who claim injuries and take the woman off to jail, even when the woman has made the 911 call, thinking the police will escort her husband off the premises.

Of course the laws of domestic violence certainly apply to same sex couples. While 20 years ago, the battered same-sex partner would not call the police in order to avoid being dragged “out of the closet”. Now same sex couples who are abused no longer need to feel isolated and have certainly been prosecuted and defended in both criminal and family court.

If you or someone you know is accused of a crime, arrested, or contacted by police, contact San Jose criminal defense attorney Maureen Baldwin at (408) 279-4450 to learn your options today!

Domestic Violence and Equal Rights, men, women, male, female, spouse, partner, restraining orders, tro, san jose, criminal, attorney, law, court, judge .