Interfering with the Reporting of Instances of Illinois Domestic Violence

 Posted on April 04, 2016 in Criminal Defense

Sometimes domestic situations get out of hand. One person in arelationship or family situation, often a male, might lose his temper or act out angrily at his partner, ex, or family member. The other party, often a woman, is the alleged victim, and she might feel threatened, fearful, or vindictive and could over-react to the situation. She might want to call the police and report the incident as an instance of domestic violence.

Calling the police for a domestic violence situation is a serious matter, since the cops are most likely leaving the scene with someone in custody, usually the alleged abuser. Many people know this and do not want to be arrested. Threats made by the alleged victim to call the police can prompt the alleged abuser to interfere with the victim making the call to the authorities. The alleged abuser might:

• Try to physically prevent the victim from placing a call to the police;
• Threaten the victim further;
• Break, destroy, or disable the phone;
• Attempt to make it difficult for the victim to speak to the police on the phone;
• Attempt to make it difficult for the police to hear the victim on the phone; and/or
• Try to prevent the victim from telling the police something if the police arrive at the scene.

Any of the above examples are attempts to interfere with the reporting of domestic violence, which is prohibited by law under 720 ILCS 5/12-3.5. If you are facing domestic violence allegations, and allegations that you interfered with the reporting of domestic violence, you need to speak with an experienced Illinois criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. You face serious charges, and a lawyer can help you defend yourself and your rights.

Interfering with the Reporting of Domestic Violence

Specifically, the statute on interfering with the reporting of domestic violence prohibits a person from preventing, or attempting to prevent a victim or a witness from reporting an instance of domestic violence. It can also be considered interfering with the reporting of domestic violence if a person prevents a victim from getting the medical attention or care that he 0r sheneeds after an instance of domestic violence. The resulting criminal charges are a Class A misdemeanor.

Charges of interfering with the reporting of domestic violence are often accompanied by domestic violence charges, such as domestic battery, aggravated domestic battery, and violation of a protection order. Defendants are often charged with both, but sometimes one or both of the charges can be dropped if the facts do not support a conviction.

Let Us Assist You Today

When you are facing domestic violence charges, or charges for interfering with the reporting of domestic violence, there is a lot at stake and you need to consult with an experienced criminal defense lawyer. Please contact a passionate Rolling Meadows defense lawyer at our firm immediately. Our skilled advocates are prepared to help you today.

Source:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?ActID=1876&ChapterID=53&SeqStart=21100000&SeqEnd=23000000