Broward DUI Lawyer Blog

Former baseball World Series MVP Manny Ramirez was recently arrested and charged with domestic battery after his wife claims he struck her in the face during an argument.

Domestic violence charges in Broward County carry with them a difficult stigma to defend, and that doesn't include the actual charges that must be defended in court. In the case of a high-profile athlete or celebrity, the news media over-hypes the case and brings more pressure on the situation.

Domestic violence cases require the skills of an experienced Fort Lauderdale Criminal Defense Attorney who can weed through the allegations and get to the real facts. These cases often come down to a "he said/she said" situation and, in the heat of an argument, allegations can be made that are false and can lead to an arrest.

When officers typically respond to a call of domestic violence, they are looking for injuries on the people inside the house. If both a woman and a man have injuries, it's possible -- right or wrong -- that the officers automatically assume the man caused or started the fight, and it's usually the man who gets taken off to jail.

In Ramirez's case, he was arrested at his Weston home. His 32-year-old wife said he hit her in the face with an open hand, causing her to hit her head against the headboard of the bed they share. He denied hitting her and told authorities he grabbed her by the shoulders during an argument and she ended up hitting her head.

An arrest affidavit states that the woman had a red and swollen face and a bump on the back of her head. The 39-year-old Ramirez had a first appearance, in which the judge ordered he not have contact with his wife.

These cases can be difficult because jurors tend to be sympathetic toward the alleged victim, which is oftentimes a woman. Prosecutors can play to the emotion of the jury by trying to make them sympathetic toward the alleged victim while making the defendant, who deserves a fair trial, look like the villain.

The officer's actions must be scrutinized. When officers respond to a domestic violence call, it's likely they will look to make an arrest for fear that inaction could lead to a more serious situation. Because domestic violence situations are often volatile, an officer doesn't want to respond to a house and be the one who left the couple together only to find out later that someone there was severely beaten, or even worse, killed.

For those reasons, officers sometimes make arrests without true proof that a crime was committed. They know that the alleged victim's words, coupled with their observations or photos they may take at the scene, is strong evidence against a defendant. This leaves no choice but to fight the charges with a Fort Lauderdale Criminal Defense Attorney standing by your side.