If you are facing charges of battery domestic violence and are an immigrant or a resident of another U.S. state, your case has an added layer of complexity. Handling the defense in these cases in just the right way is necessary in order to prevent consequences such as an embarrassing and disruptive extradition process or even deportation from the country.
Immigrants and Domestic Violence
If you are an immigrant to the U.S., you need to know that a conviction of battery domestic violence gives the law three different grounds on which to seek your deportation back to your home country. This means that, without the right kind of defense on your side, a prosecution supported by unfounded claims of violence and misunderstood statements could get you sent out of the U.S. Don’t put your job and your plans in jeopardy by trusting inadequate legal counsel. You need the help of an attorney who is familiar with immigration law as well as domestic violence law to counter the double threat of conviction and deportation.
Out-of-State Residents
If you live in another state, a Clark County battery domestic violence charge carries the added danger of potential extradition. After you return home, if battery domestic violence charges are filed against you the court has the authority to require you to return to the county for trial—even if they are only misdemeanor charges.
Extradition is a threat that will disrupt your life to a great extent, involving a separate hearing in your home state to determine whether the extradition request is valid. Depending on your state’s laws, you may or may not be allowed to leave jail on bond before the hearing. Finally, if the hearing concludes that the request is valid, you will be forced to leave your job and home behind to return to Las Vegas for your trial.
Many of these disruptions can be avoided by immediate consultation with a local Las Vegas criminal defense attorney who can handle the charges “on the ground” for you. Using video chat and other long distance communication technology, a lawyer can keep in close touch with you, get to work on your case, and have your charges reduced or dismissed in order to allow you to continue on with your life without returning to Nevada. If the charges are on the misdemeanor level, a local defense lawyer can even appear in court on your behalf without you being present. Obviously, it is critical that this lawyer be someone whom you can trust with your case. Given the inflamed tempers and temptations to exaggerate claims that often accompany domestic violence charges, your situation can quickly spin out of control if your lawyer is unprepared to face any evidence or testimony that is presented.
