I Punched a Roommate – Why Am I Being Charged with Family Violence?

Domestic assault, also known as family violence, occurs when there is a physical altercation between two people. Generally, you hear about it in regards to spouses or family members, but the umbrella of domestic assault is actually much wider than that. Anyone who shares a residence is considered “family” for the purposes of domestic assault charges. This means that you can be charged with domestic violence for hitting your roommate.

As a matter of fact, there does not need to be any physical violence at all. You can even be charged with domestic assault if you have simply threatened another person with imminent bodily injury.

What Are the Penalties for Domestic Assault in Texas?

The penalties for domestic assault in Texas vary on a case-by-case basis. A threat of bodily injury is a Class C misdemeanor, with a $500 fine. On the other end, if you threaten someone and assault them with a deadly weapon, you could face a $10,000 fine and up to 99 years in state prison.

Besides the initial penalties of a domestic violence charge, you also need to consider the long-term implications. Even if you receive deferred adjudication for the assault, the charges leave a permanent mark on your criminal record. They can never be removedand can never be expunged. They will follow you for the rest of your life. That is one reason why it is important, if you have been charged with assault/family violence, to discuss your case with a criminal defense attorney.

Our criminal defense attorney, serving the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, has only lost one jury trial since 1999.