Can I Be Charged With Family Violence If I Assault My Roommate?

Under the Texas Family Code, there are a couple of different ways in which somebody can be classified as a family member. If you are in a dating relationship with somebody, even if you are not married to that person, they may be considered a family member for the purposes of family violence, and this classification continues after the end of the relationship, meaning you can be charged with family violence for striking your ex. If you are related to somebody by blood, obviously, if it’s your father or your mother or your son or your daughter, you are a family member as defined under the Texas Family Code. Finally, the Texas Family Code defines members of the same household as family members. So what this means is that if you get accused of assaulting your college roommate who you live in the same dorm as, you may be charged with domestic violence, and this is technically true even when you are no longer living with that roommate as well.

The domestic violence statutes were intended to create harsher punishments for people who commit domestic violence generally against spouses or intimate partners, however, because of the way that family is defined in the family code, these same harsher consequences can come to be used by prosecutors in cases where people are not intimate partners or romantically involved at all. The problem that we commonly see is that people who get charged with domestic violence against a non-intimate partner may show up to court without an attorney and want to resolve the case just by pleading guilty and taking a conviction for time served not knowing the long-term consequences that are going to follow the person around and haunt them the rest of their lives. That’s why we recommend before you make any decisions on your family violence case that you consult the services of an experienced attorney.

For more information on Assaulting Your Roommate In Texas, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (512) 478-9898 today.