My Ex Accused Me of Domestic Violence. Now What?

False allegations of domestic violence, in Chicago and its suburbs, are widespread. Over the course of the past year, the number of calls police receive for domestic violence have declined – but some of those calls are made by people who are not telling the truth.

Lying About Domestic Violence

Why would someone claim that they were a victim of domestic violence when they weren’t? A number of factors could cause someone to lie about domestic violence; the Internet is full of stories of people who sent their exes to jail over a lie.

In many cases, these allegations of domestic abuse stem from wanting revenge or an attempt to hurt the innocent party. However, in other cases, sometimes the person accusing the innocent partner is guilty of abuse themselves – it’s an attempt to “turn the tables” and get the other party into trouble.

What Happens When You’re Arrested for DV in Chicago?

If Chicago police arrest you for domestic violence, they’ll take you to the police department and book you into jail. They’ll photograph and fingerprint you, and you’ll likely stay there until there’s room on the court schedule for your arraignment.

Here’s the problem. Once you’ve been arrested and charged with domestic violence, the person who accused you of it cannot drop the charges – even if he or she wants to.

That’s because domestic violence is a crime. In domestic violence cases, the state issues the charges, and they can move forward with a case if they have the evidence to do so (and that evidence does not have to include the victim’s testimony or statements).

Statistics show that between 80 and 90 percent of domestic violence victims recant their stories, which means they later tell investigators that they lied about the incident. Even if the victim recants his or her story, it’s still possible for prosecutors to move forward with the case.

The best possible thing you can do, whether you’re innocent or guilty, is to get in touch with a Chicago domestic violence lawyer as soon as possible. Your lawyer will help preserve your rights under Illinois law and speak for you to help you avoid further trouble.