Domestic violence is a crime that is taken very seriously in Maryland. The law does take a harsh stance against a host of actions that can occur in these cases.
There are several different things that are considered domestic violence in this state. False imprisonment, which means that a person is kept from leaving a location in a manner that interferes with his or her freedom is one of these. Attempted rape, sex offenses, assault, battery and stalking are also covered in the domestic battery laws here.
A person who is accused of domestic violence might have to face more than just criminal charges. They might also face the possibility of a protective order. These are orders that require the accused person to comply with rules, such as staying a certain distance from the alleged victim and avoiding contact with that person.
A protective order is something that the victim can ask for. This person can ask for the court to require specific things. For example, they might ask that the court orders the abuser to stay out of the home they shared. This would make it hard for you, if you are the accused person, to live since you couldn’t return home.
There are other orders that might be included. The court might require that visits between the abuser and their children are supervised. Temporary possession of pets might also be included.
As you can imagine, this aspect of a domestic violence case can be hard to deal with. You have to consider these possibilities along with other aspects of the case when you are trying to determine what plan of action you are going to follow.
Source: Maryland Courts, “Domestic Violence,” accessed Dec. 28, 2017