Family Violence charges

[Cindi86Rai]

What is the name of your state? TEXAS

Recently my boyfriend went to visit a male cousin he hasn't seen in a while before the cousin's birthday dinner. They got drunk and had a fight and my boyfriend gets arrested.

I don't know how the fight started or all the details but his cousin had him arrested and now he can't be in contact with him at all.

Is it okay for me to ask if they could consider dropping the charges?

My boyfriend has never had anything like this before and knowing that he was drunk he more than likely asked the officers to just take him to jail.

Will this effect him getting into services like police or firefighter?

 

[Ohiogal]

What is the name of your state? TEXAS

Recently my boyfriend went to visit a male cousin he hasn't seen in a while before the cousin's birthday dinner. They got drunk and had a fight and my boyfriend gets arrested.

I don't know how the fight started or all the details but his cousin had him arrested and now he can't be in contact with him at all.

Is it okay for me to ask if they could consider dropping the charges?

My boyfriend has never had anything like this before and knowing that he was drunk he more than likely asked the officers to just take him to jail.

Will this effect him getting into services like police or firefighter?

If you contact the cousin on behalf of your boyfriend that is a violation of the restraining order. YOU CANNOT DO THAT. Furthermore, they can't drop the charges. That is up to the prosecutor. And yes, it can affect him becoming a police officer or firefighter. Police and fire don't want violent drunks in their ranks.

 

[xylene]

If you want to help at all, offer to pay your bfs legal bills.

You have no involvement in this situation and need to hang back.

 

[not2cleverRed]

If you want to help at all, offer to pay your bfs legal bills.

You have no involvement in this situation and need to hang back.

Ditto.

Additionally, @Cindi86Rai can also encourage the boyfriend to enroll in anger management classes or AA or both. He has a problem. He needs to show that he accepts that he has a problem and is addressing it.

I think Cindi should also seek help. Having cops show up at family events is not a desirable family dynamic.

 

[cbg]

Is it okay for me to ask if they could consider dropping the charges?

You can in the sense that no laws prohibit it. However, the DA has no incentive to grant your request.

 

[zddoodah]

Is it okay for me to ask if they could consider dropping the charges?

You indicated your boyfriend was arrested, but that doesn't mean he has been charged. If he has been charged, then yes, you're free to contact the district attorney and ask that charges be dropped. You should assume that the answer will be no. You're also free to make the same request of your boyfriend's cousin. However, the cousin did not file the charges; the DA did that, and the DA is the only person who can decide to drop the charges or not.

Will this effect him getting into services like police or firefighter?

Depends on the extent to which things proceed beyond an arrest.

 

[quincy]

Here is a link to the Texas Bar where your boyfriend can seek assistance in finding a criminal defense attorney in his area: https://www.texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Lawyer_Referral_Service_LRIS_&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=42753

What your boyfriend should NOT do is have any contact at all with his cousin while the no-contact order is in effect, nor should you contact the cousin on behalf of your boyfriend. If your boyfriend is charged with a crime, his attorney will handle contacts with the prosecutor.

I hope your boyfriend is doing some serious reflection on how his drinking played a role in the altercation and that he gets help.

 

[CavemanLawyer]

It would be an extreme result but technically if you tried to persuade the cousin the drop charges you could be charged with tampering with a witness, which in this case would be the same degree misdemeanor that your boyfriend is charged with.

It is common for victims to request that a charge be dismissed or sign an affidavit stating so. It is up to the prosecutor to decide what to do with that request but it is usually at least taken into consideration. It needs to be left up to the cousin what to do though.

A conviction for any Class B or A misdemeanor prohibits you from obtaining a Tcole (law enforcement) license or FIDO (fire suppression AKA firefighter) license for 10 years. A family violence conviction (what he is charged with) permanently disqualifies you from being a police officer. This only applies if he wants to be licensed in Texas. Every state is going to have their own licensing disqualifications.