With recent media attention on domestic violence in the NFL, how has it affected the way the general population and prosecutors view domestic violence cases?
James Knox: I would say that any time that we see a lot of media coverage regarding a specific event – in this instance, domestic violence – and on the criminal side of a court, you do tend to see more prosecutions. The prosecutors that we deal with typically receive a copy of the police report from whatever the arresting agency is. That police report is, again, forwarded to them, and they make a decision whether or not to file the case and the specific charges based on the report. And what we have seen is, when we do have a lot of media attention regarding a specific subject, the prosecutors tend to file more of these cases. When there isn’t that attention sometimes they may be less likely to file.
Stephen Levine, is a Board Certified Specialist in Criminal Defense — an honor achieved by only the top criminal law attorneys in California. Mr. Levine has over 40 years of experience in criminal defense and family law serving Southern California, and is a highly regarded Super Lawyer as well as AV Rated attorney.