TO QUALIFY AS A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OFFENSE THE ACT MUST BE FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE

Domestic violence offenses fall into two categories. One category is an offense that includes violence or a threat of violence - so assaults and physical harassment offenses. The other category is non-assaultive offenses - like "interfering with phone usage", criminal mischief, phone harassment, false imprisonment, etc. For those types of charges to qualify as "domestic violence" offenses, the action must have been done as a method of coercion, control, punishment, intimidation or revenge. Taking a case out of the "domestic violence" category can be of great beneift in how the case is resolved.