Legal Question in Criminal Law in Washington

Re: what to do on domestic violence

Your sister absolutely does not want to represent herself--whatever her legal training might be. DV cases have huge swings in outcome from dismissal or not guilty being fairly common on the plus side to having to take nightly classes and not being able to see her child being equally common on the negative.

If she has no money she should be eligible for a public defender. If she's in Western Washington I'll be happy to assist her for a flat rate. Either totally handling the case for her or, for a lesser fee, helping her get the most out of her public defender.

Note--if she was defending herself than the State can be order to pay the cost of her private hire defense attorney.

At your service,

Re: what to do on domestic violence

By all means, your sister should have an attorney.

These days a domestic violence charge has far reaching consequences. In addition to the loss of the right to possess firearms (which can severely restrict the freedoms of others in the household), a domestic violence conviction can affect her career options, participation in youth sports and activities and possible entry into other countries.

There is more to every case than simply guilt or innocence. Only an experienced attorney can advise a defendant on all aspects of defending against a criminal charge.