A doctor who resides in the Broward County city of Weston is facing serious domestic violence charges after his live-in girlfriend accused him of holding her in his home against her will and inflicting serious physical injuries.
However, at the bond hearing, the judge did not find probable cause for several of the charges.
The defendant is presently charged with felony battery and battery by strangulation. Both are third-degree felonies punishable by up to 5 years in prison each.
When you are arrested for a domestic violence crime, you cannot post a bond until you have been seen by a judge. This will occur within 24 hours of arrest.
You cannot post a “convenience bond” as you can for many non-domestic violence crimes. You must see a judge who will set certain conditions of pretrial release. These conditions may include electronic monitoring, anger management classes, and a stay-away order from the alleged victim.
Florida is a “no-drop” state, meaning that the decision to file formal charges does not rest with the victim. If the victim does not want to prosecute, the law has made it relatively easy for the state to charge you with a domestic violence crime even with an uncooperative victim.
Just because the victim is not on board does not mean that the case will automatically be dismissed.
Eric Matheny is a Miami domestic violence lawyer and a Broward domestic violence lawyer.