When helping people facing criminal charges for domestic violence, it’s not uncommon for me to hear some of the following;
- “I just wanted the cops to make them leave.”
- “I didn’t/don’t want them to get arrested.”
- “I didn’t/don’t want to press charges.”
- “I don’t want to testify at trial.”
When the police get a family violence or domestic assault call, someone is almost always going to be arrested and jailed. With that said, if you’re in danger or in fear of losing your life, call the police for help.
However, if strife is common in your relationship but you don’t want your partner arrested and jailed, think twice before calling the police.
Once law enforcement is involved, “the government is there to help you, ma’am,” and somebody is going into custody. No one should be striking or hitting anyone. Do not expect an option to “get the charges dropped” following a domestic violence arrest.
