Many people living in Hackensack and the surrounding New Jersey communities make their living in the medical field.
If these people have the misfortune of getting arrested for a crime related to domestic violence, they must take the charges seriously.
They should not automatically agree to a plea deal even if this is their first involvement with the criminal justice system, and the plea deal takes jail and the most serious criminal consequences off of the table.
Indeed, there is always a chance that a criminal conviction related to domestic violence could land a person in jail. However, those who think that a quick plea bargain means they can move on with their lives may be seriously mistaken.
For one, employers and licensing boards will take domestic violence allegations against medical professionals very seriously.
Assuming they will be allowed to keep their licenses to practice, it might be hard to convince a clinic or hospital that someone convicted of an offense related to domestic violence can be trusted around patients.
The professional fallout from a conviction can last for years.
There are other serious consequences to domestic violence convictions as well
It is not just one’s job one has to worry about after a conviction related to domestic violence.
For example, if the person has kids and is a single parent, then their conviction can be used against them in a custody or parenting time proceeding.
While such decisions depend on other circumstances as well, a parent could wind up with very limited parenting time and no authority to help make decisions for their children.
Convictions can also hurt a person’s right to have firearms and even their immigration status.
The bottom line is that before agreeing to plead guilty to any criminal charge related to domestic violence, a person should understand all available alternatives.