In Washington state, the domestic violence is a heavy subject matter with a high rate of recidivism. Domestic violence includes acts against household or family members. This means that any violence or harassment against domestic partners, spouses, former domestic partners, former spouses, persons with children together, persons who reside together after the age of sixteen who have been in a relationship together and persons who are at least sixteen and are in or used to be in a dating relationship.
The Washington State Legislature has domestic violence as assault in the fourth degree. A first offense may only be a gross misdemeanor, whereas two or more convictions can lead to a felony charge. A domestic assault charge, however, does not have to mean that your reputation or life will not ever return to normal. Washington state utilizes risk assessment to establish those who may reoffend and to help reduce domestic violence. The state has a high rate of serious injury and fatality due to domestic violence. The strategies it has in place reduce serious injuries.
One of the benefits of risk assessment is that the law can use it as an alternative to arrest or utilize the findings in bail determinations. In some cases, instead of jail time, there may be treatment options available for the offender. The idea behind Washington’s domestic violence laws are to take reoffenders seriously but also to offer a means of rehabilitation for those who are not prone to reoffending.
This information provides help with understanding the Washington state domestic violence laws. This is not the same as legal advice.