Updating and expanding upon our recent Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) blog:
This past Monday the Senate voted 85-5 to start debating on a bill to renew the VAWA through fiscal year 2016. The bill adds protections for gays, lesbians and transsexuals, and it empowers tribal courts to issue protection orders and prosecute non-Indians who commit violence on reservations against Native Americans.
VAWA (which was originally enacted in 1994) has funneled literally billions of dollars in grants to state and local governmental agencies, as well as nonprofit organizations, for a variety of programs aimed at preventing domestic violence, stalking and sexual assaults, and helping victims recover when those crimes occur. The Department of Justice, Homeland Security and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a few of the governmental agencies that provide grants through laws such as the Victims Child Abuse Act, the Higher-Education Act and the Immigration and Nationality Act.
So as previous stated in prior blogs, it is abundantly clear — our national and state domestic violence laws are continuing to be aggressively tightened by legislative authorities. The consequences of being arrested and charged with a DV related offense can be exceedingly debilitating on a person’s personal and professional life. Most prosecuting agencies, in fact, have a dedicated domestic violence unit, wherein the sole purpose of the unit is to prosecute those accused of committing domestic violence.
In light of the seriousness and breadth of DV related crimes, if a person is arrested for a DV related offense, it is a good idea to immediately hire a seasoned criminal defense attorney. The Seattle criminal attorneys that make up the criminal defense team of SQ Attorneys are highly qualified and reputable Seattle domestic violence defense lawyers that are dedicated to providing top notch, aggressive representation for those arrested for domestic violence in and around Western Washington and the greater Puget Sound region. The team is designed to create success by working with law enforcement and the prosecuting attorney’s office so as to ensure that all facts and circumstances related to the criminal allegations brought against the accused are considered in creating the fairest, most equitable and just resolution possible in light of all the surrounding circumstances. If accused of a crime protect your rights – contact SQ Attorneys, (206) 293-9590; (425) 998-8384 – it will be the best decision you make all day.