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Domestic Violence Assault & Battery

In 1994 the country and indeed the world watch with rapt attention the murder trial of football great O. J. Simpson. It was during this “trial of the century” that the term Domestic Violence entered the common lexicon of American life. Although the prosecution of Mr. Simpson was ultimately unsuccessful, this trial forever changed the way Domestic Violence cases are handled by both police and prosecutors across the nation. In the wake of this trial virtually every police department and District Attorney’s office created special domestic violence teams or task forces to focus on these matters. Moreover, virtually every State Legislature, including Maryland’s, passed new laws to facilitate the prosecution of these cases.

No longer are these cases viewed as “private family matters” that the State ought not involve itself in. These matters are now among the most aggressively prosecuted cases in the courts today. The police make far more arrests, often illegal ones, than they once had in cases in which they would have previously simply referred the alleged victim to the court commissioner to file charges on her own. Judges are setting higher bails upon arrest and meting out much stiffer sentences upon conviction. This is why it is imperative for anyone charged with one of these very serious matters to immediately seek out an aggressive and experienced criminal defense team.

Our Domestic Violence team is headed up by Partner and former Assistant State’s Attorney Brian G. Thompson. As a State Prosecutor at the time of the O.J. Trial, Mr. Thompson was tasked with the then Deputy State’s Attorney to create a Domestic Violence Unit to track and more aggressively prosecute these matters. As a 100% full time criminal defense attorney since 1998, Mr. Thompson has handled literally hundreds of these cases in Baltimore City, Baltimore County and throughout the State. Mr. Thompson’s extensive experience in these matters is complemented by other members of the STSW Criminal Defense Team, including Partner Steve Silverman and Senior Associate Crestin Smith who have also successfully defended hundreds of these matters. Our team has both the knowledge of the law and the relationships with court personnel to navigate you through the treacherous waters of a Domestic Violence prosecution.