San Diego Criminal Attorney Blog

San Diego County's domestic violence hotline reported a 20% increase in calls in January compared to a year earlier. Worried about the rise in reports, San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis announced new funding by the district attorney's office and other local agencies.

The campaign focuses on how to help children who are exposed to domestic violence. Officers will now be required to list any children involved in a domestic violence incident, directly or indirectly, so the children can receive counseling.

Continue reading "San Diego County Officers Receive Domestic Violence Training" »

Police and prosecutors are receiving substantial funding from special interest groups devoted to the cause of domestic violence. As domestic violence case funding increases, the cases are more aggressively prosecuted today than ever before.

San Diego officers are required to arrest a husband or wife or a boyfriend or a girlfriend, if one or the other has any visible injury upon them. The arresting officers rarely conduct a detailed investigation, assuming  the non-injured person is the only domestic abuser.

Continue reading "San Diego Domestic Violence Case Receive Funding From Special Interest Groups" »

Manoj Motwani, 40, who pleaded guilty last month to misdemeanor charges of battery on his girlfriend was sentenced last week to probation and ordered to enroll in a domestic violence program.

Motwani, who founded the La Jolla Alpha Laser Center was placed on three years probation and ordered to make restitution to Antonia Quast and pay $8,000 to a domestic violence shelter or other nonprofit organization. The laser surgeon said the community had been supportive throughout the ordeal and that his medical license is unaffected by the criminal case.

Until recently, domestic abuse and domestic violence crimes could be prosecuted even if the alleged victim was unavailable or uncooperative. The United States Supreme Court recently ruled that practice violated a defendant's Sixth Amendment right to confront one's accuser. If we are contacted immediately, we can negotiate with police and prosecutors on your behalf. Our defense tactics are aimed at getting felony charges bumped down to misdemeanor charges or getting the case rejected for prosecution.