Many in Wisconsin are often unaware of all of the unintended consequences that than arrest for domestic violence may have. Aside from the immediate legal and potential criminal penalties, there is also the stigma that’s often associated with having been accused of violence against one’s spouse. One may work years to try and erase the residual effects of such a charge only to find that long after having the paid the price for a domestic violence accusation, it may still prohibit them from enjoying future privileges.
Such is the case with a Cottage Grove man who is finding it difficult to completely shed the consequences of his prior domestic violence conviction. The man is appealing for his right to get a concealed carry permit after he was denied one due to his having a domestic violence conviction on his record. His case is slated to be heard by the state Court of Appeals after a circuit court upheld the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s decision to deny the man the permit based on a federal statute. The man’s counterargument has been that if federal law is being applied to his case, then the statue shouldn’t apply to him because the relationship from which the conviction came did not meet the federal definition of a domestic relationship.
While an accusation of domestic violence is serious enough, a conviction may carry with it the above-mentioned criminal and social consequences and more. Avoiding such a conviction often requires knowledge of criminal law and statutes. As such, one may wish to work with an attorney to help secure an acceptable outcome from the court.
Source: Today’s TMJ4 “Domestic violence is issue in Wis. Gun case” Sep. 03, 2013