Domestic Violence
Our criminal defense attorneys understand the seriousness of domestic violence charges in California and stand with you every step.
How We Defend Domestic Violence Cases
Domestic violence cases move fast. Restraining orders, custody implications, and firearm prohibitions can all hit before you ever see a courtroom.
We act immediately to protect your rights, your family, and your future — challenging the allegations with the seriousness they deserve.
Most DV cases hinge on the statement made to officers in the first ten minutes after dispatch. We obtain the bodycam, the 911 call, and the prior reporting history to build a complete picture — not just the version that put you in handcuffs.
Even when allegations are withdrawn, prosecutors push forward under California's no-drop policies. Negotiated dispositions to non-DV offenses (PC 415 disturbing the peace, for example) often preserve gun rights and avoid the 52-week batterer's program.
What's at Stake
- ▸PC 273.5 (corporal injury to spouse): up to 1 year jail or 2–4 years prison
- ▸PC 243(e)(1) (DV battery): up to 1 year in county jail
- ▸PC 273a (child endangerment): up to 6 years in state prison
- ▸52-week batterer's program plus 3 years probation
- ▸10-year firearm prohibition under state law; lifetime under federal law
How We Fight Back
- Self-defense or defense of children
- False allegations tied to divorce or custody disputes
- Accidental injury without willful act
- Recanting witness analyzed under Evidence Code 1109
- Mutual combat with no dominant aggressor identified
- Lack of qualifying relationship under PC 273.5
How Your Case Will Be Handled
We meet — in person, by phone, or by video — to hear your side, review every document, and identify the prosecution's theory before it solidifies.
We send our own investigators after the witnesses, the surveillance, the bodycam, and the records the State would rather you never see.
Motions to suppress, Pitchess motions, expert retention, and negotiation — every lever pulled before a jury is ever empaneled.
Dismissal, reduction, diversion, or a trial verdict — we prepare every case as if it will be tried, because the State takes notice when a defense lawyer means it.
Domestic Violence FAQs
Every Hour Matters in a Domestic Violence Case.
Speak directly with Andrei Lapine. Free, confidential, and available 24/7 for urgent matters.
Related Defense Areas
Charges often overlap. If your case involves more than domestic violence, we defend these related matters across California.
