Ray Rice and the Rise of Domestic Violence in Greeley

I’m sure you’ve heard about Ray Rice. He was a Baltimore Ravens running back who was recently suspended. He has been in the news almost constantly in the past month. In case you haven’t heard, the hubbub began when TMZ, a celebrity news source, released a video of Rice punching his then-fiancée.  There has been an enormous public outcry over the incident, and awareness for Domestic Violence has grown. What many people don’t know, is that the growing awareness isn’t always a good thing. Since the Ray Rice incident, Domestic Violence (DV) reports have almost doubled. This doesn’t reflect a growing number of legitimate DV cases – instead, more and more people are making false accusations in Weld, Morgan, and Logan County.

Domestic Violence Hotline: The Hotline for Revenge, Control, and Attention

Domestic Violence calls have increased by 84% since the video of Ray Rice was released. How is this possible? When awareness for a certain issue is raised, a couple of things happen: Legitimate victims realize they aren’t alone and take the steps to escape the violence. But, there is another side to the story. We have defended many clients who were falsely accused of Domestic Violence. When DV is in the news as much as it has been this past month, the media is in frenzy. There was a campaign on Twitter where people shared the reason they didn’t leave a violent relationship, with the hashtag #WhyIStayed. Put simply, it’s popular to be a “victim” of Domestic Violence. There are many reasons a person has for making up a story. Whether the accuser is looking for revenge, control, or attention, false accusations are common. There are a couple of possible reasons for the increase in DV reports since the release of Ray Rice’s video: More people are empowered to escape actual violence, and more people use this opportunity to get attention or revenge, because they know the report will be more believable. We suspect it is a little bit of both.

False Accusations in Weld County Detract from Real Violence

I detest Domestic Violence. This is why I fight so hard for people who face false accusations. You see, when the police are bogged down by false reports, they aren’t able to focus on instances of real violence. True victims fall through the cracks because of all the people who call the police to make false or overblown accusations. This isn’t right. We live in a culture of victimization. People don’t take responsibility for their actions. Instead, they call the police and make accusations – especially when a crime is especially popular. When we allow people looking for revenge, control, and attention to steal the spotlight, we do a disservice to real victims of Domestic Violence.

Want a Not-Guilty Verdict in Greeley? You Need a Lawyer

If you have received an Assault Domestic Violence summons, or been given a ticket for Harassment Domestic Violence, don’t hesitate to contact a passionate criminal defense attorney. If you want a not-guilty verdict, you need to have an advocate in the courtroom. This is because Domestic Violence is a “hip” crime right now. A judge or jury isn’t as likely to side with the defendant and perceived abuser in a DV case. You need a knowledgeable attorney to defend you. The lawyers at our office have over 30 years of combined courtroom experience. We fight hard to give the best defense for our clients who have been accused of Domestic Violence. We make sure their side of the story is heard and chances for an acquittal or not-guilty trial verdict are high.

The Ray Rice incident has raised awareness for Domestic Violence. If you or a loved one faces false accusations, be smart and exercise your right to remain silent. Then, contact an experienced criminal defense attorney at the O’Malley Law Office for a free consultation at 970-616-6009. Together, we can protect your future.

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