Can I Drop Domestic Battery Charges?

If you’re like many people whose spouse, significant other or family member has been arrested for domestic battery in Illinois, you’re wondering, “Can I drop domestic battery charges?”

You’re not alone – a lot of people decide that they’d like to drop charges like these. That might happen because you exaggerated when you talked to the police, or maybe because you discovered how much trouble the other party would get into if he or she was prosecuted and convicted. No matter why you’d like to backtrack, though, here’s what you need to know.

Can I Drop Domestic Battery Charges?

Once a prosecutor – a lawyer for the state of Illinois – picks up the charges and files them, it’s out of your hands. You can’t “drop” the charges, because the prosecutor is the only one who can do that. The person you accused of domestic battery will have to go through the same legal processes that anyone else who’s been charged with a crime must go through. He or she will be arrested, booked into police custody and asked questions about the situation.

The person you accused of the crime has the right to an attorney. He or she may use a public defender (which is only available to people who don’t have the money to hire an attorney) or hire a former prosecutor for help.

Do You Need to Talk to a Lawyer Because You Can’t Drop Domestic Battery Charges?

If you’re helping your loved one or friend get a domestic battery defense attorney, we may be able to assist you. Call us at 847-920-4540 for a free case review. We’ll ask you some questions and learn about what happened, and if we can work with the person you accused of domestic battery, we’ll start developing a strategy that gets him or her the best possible outcome.