If you’re convicted of domestic battery in Illinois, you’re looking at some serious penalties – even if it’s your first offense.

Domestic Battery Overview

There are actually two classifications for this type of crime in Illinois: domestic battery and aggravated domestic battery. Both require the victim to be a household or family member, such as:

• Spouses and ex-spouses
• Parents and children (including stepchildren and others who are related by blood or by marriage)
• People who live together or used to live together
• People who are in a dating relationship
• People who have disabilities and their caregivers

Penalty for Domestic Battery

If it’s your first offense and you’re found guilty of domestic battery, it’s typically a Class A misdemeanor. However, if you have a prior domestic battery conviction, or if you’ve violated an order of protection, you can be charged with a Class 4 felony. Some additional factors can turn a domestic battery incident into a Class 4 felony, as well, so it’s best to talk to your domestic battery attorney about your case specifically.

If you’re charged with a Class A misdemeanor of domestic battery, you could spend up to a year in jail and pay fines of up to $2,500.

If you’re charged with a Class 4 felony, you could spend up to 3 years in prison and pay fines of up to $25,000.

Penalty for Aggravated Domestic Battery

Aggravated domestic battery is typically a Class 2 felony.

If you’re charged with a Class 2 felony, you could spend between 3 and 7 years in prison. However, if you’ve ever been convicted of aggravated domestic battery before, you’re looking at between 3 and 14 years in prison.

Do You Need to Talk to a Domestic Battery Lawyer in Chicago?

If you need to consult with a domestic battery lawyer in Chicago about your case, we’re here for you.

Call us at 847-920-4540 for a free domestic battery case review right away. The sooner you tell us what’s going on, the sooner we can develop a strategy that gets you the best possible outcome.