The first police report may not tell the whole story
Domestic calls often involve competing accounts, emotional circumstances and fast decisions. Body-camera footage, 911 recordings, messages, photographs and witness statements may provide context that is not obvious from the complaint alone.
Read no-contact and release conditions carefully
Conditions can affect where a person may go and with whom they may communicate. Even if the other person wants contact, a court-ordered restriction should not be ignored.
Preserve messages and other communications
Texts, call logs, photographs and social-media communications can be important to chronology, credibility and the nature of the relationship. Do not delete or edit potential evidence.
Criminal cases and restraining orders are different proceedings
A domestic criminal case can overlap with a restraining-order petition or injunction, but the proceedings have different records and issues. Strategy should account for how testimony or evidence in one matter may affect another.
Common questions
What if the other person wants the case dropped?
The prosecuting authority, not a private witness, decides whether a criminal charge continues. The witness’s position may still be relevant to the evidence and case strategy.
Can a no-contact condition be changed?
Court conditions can sometimes be addressed through the proper legal process. Until a change is entered, the existing written condition should be followed.
What evidence should I preserve?
Messages, photographs, video, witness names and other information that fairly documents what happened can be important.
Related information
This page provides general information and is not legal advice. The law, defenses and possible consequences depend on the facts and current law.