Login with your favorite social network:

[Jerry]

On vacation with my family in Maine(I'm from MN), my sister and I got in a fight and I pulled her hair. We clawed at each other for less than a minute and she called the police and I was arrested. I have been charged with Class D Domestic Assault and currently have a court date set for Oct. 16th. I have a lawyer but being half a country away I've only spoken with him twice and have many unanswered questions. My family is on my side, and the consensus is that my sister is now a 'reluctant witness' and will not be able to attend the trial. There are so many extenuating circumstances, but I know nothing of the legal system and am having a hard time getting my questions answered. What are the chances that the court will throw out the charges? What is the worst punishment I could receive? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[Ittamar]

PamPerdue said: 1 If the sister is a "reluctant witness", why is the case going forward? Have her drop the case.Or more to the point: tell your lawyer to have her drop the case. If for some reason the district attorney is pursuing this on his own, then your lawyer needs to be talking to him.I hate to say this, but if your lawyer is incompetent, you need to go out there. If you skip the hearing, you will be found in contempt of court, and a cascade of bad things happen.I know that sucks, and it's not your fault. It's your sister's fault for calling the police over a trivial charge. It's also the police and DA's fault for pressing charges on a trivial domestic matter.Somebody is screwing around, and your lawyer is supposed to be the one who can fix that. If you're not getting help from the lawyer, you need a better one. A good lawyer is worth paying for, because a bad lawyer ends up costing more. 64 months ago

[Garaile]

feisty_sugar said: 3 i wouldn't pull her hair again if i were you. 64 months ago

[Rutherford]

Maximum penalty appears to be 364 days in jail and a $2,000 fine The maximum penalty for a Class D crime in Maine appears to be 364 days in jail and a $2,000.00 fine.   However, and I cannot emphasize this strongly enough, ASK YOUR LAWYER YOUR QUESTIONS. You have a Maine lawyer. He is the expert. Ask him your questions. He can tell you what will happen if your sister refuses to testify, whether you are likely to get probation if found guilty, etc.   Do not rely on internet advice. Write down a list of your questions, and call your lawyer's secretary. Tell her you want to schedule a 15-minute phone conference with your lawyer to ask some questions. If he won't do this, seriously consider getting a new lawyer.   Your freedom is at stake. Get advice from your lawyer, not from the internet. Sertorius73 64 months ago Please sign in to give a compliment. Please verify your account to give a compliment. Please sign in to send a message. Please verify your account to send a message.

[Griff]

Ain't sisterly love wonderful?

[Zacchaeus]

If the sister is a "reluctant witness", why is the case going forward? Have her drop the case.Or more to the point: tell your lawyer to have her drop the case. If for some reason the district attorney is pursuing this on his own, then your lawyer needs to be talking to him.I hate to say this, but if your lawyer is incompetent, you need to go out there. If you skip the hearing, you will be found in contempt of court, and a cascade of bad things happen.I know that sucks, and it's not your fault. It's your sister's fault for calling the police over a trivial charge. It's also the police and DA's fault for pressing charges on a trivial domestic matter.Somebody is screwing around, and your lawyer is supposed to be the one who can fix that. If you're not getting help from the lawyer, you need a better one. A good lawyer is worth paying for, because a bad lawyer ends up costing more.