Indiana Domestic Violence Laws: Charges and Penalties

Under Indiana domestic violence law, domestic battery is defined as an act of physical violence perpetrated upon any person by someone who shares the same household, or who is acting as or is the battered person’s spouse or parent. The charges associated with domestic battery are usually, but not always, Class A Misdemeanors. These charges are punishable by up to a year of imprisonment and a fine of up to $5,000 dollars.  

Indiana Domestic Violence Penalties

The specifics of Indiana domestic violence charges and penalties are going to vary based on the case and the circumstances. In general:

• If the offender has any prior convictions for domestic battery when he or she is charged with a new offense, the charges can escalate to a Class D Felony, which is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 dollars and imprisonment of anywhere from 6 months to 3 full years in prison.  
• When a domestic battery occurs, in most cases a protective order will be issued by the court that prohibits the offender from contacting the victim of the abuse. Violation of one of these orders is referred to as Invasion of Privacy, and the state of Indiana imposes a Class A Misdemeanor punishment for this charge’s conviction. This means up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine could be imposed.  
• Intimidation and Harassment are both punishable by Indiana law as well in domestic cases, and both are Class A misdemeanors punishable by 1 year in jail and a separate fine of up to $5,000. These charges are brought upon an offender when the victim of a domestic abuse case is verbally or mentally intimidating the victim, making the victim feel tormented or afraid.  
• The continued harassment of a domestic abuse victim can lead to a Stalking charge, which is generally considered a Class D Felony in Indiana. If the victim begins to feel like the offender is continuously following or intimidating them, a report may be filed with the authorities and charges may be brought upon the offender, resulting in a fine of up to $10,000 and anywhere from 6 months to 3 years imprisonment being ordered.  
• If the offender enters a property that he is prohibited from entering in a protective order or if he refuses to leave a property that doesn’t belong to him, the offender may be charged in an Indiana court room with Criminal Trespass. When charged in conjunction with the violation of a domestic protective order, the offender usually faces a Class A Misdemeanor. As stated above, a Class A Misdemeanor could result in up to a year in jail and a fine of anywhere from $500 to $5,000 dollars.

Getting Help

As you can see, a wide variety of different laws and penalties may apply. If you have been accused of domestic violence, you need a lawyer to let you know what consequences your charges could have and to help you deal with those charges.