Not all family violence cases fit common pattern of a husband or live-in boyfriend accused of assaulting his partner. In a recent case, a 21-year-old woman from Dania Beach is accused of biting her 73-year-old grandmother. The younger woman now faces domestic violence charges.
According to the allegations of the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the two women live together in Dania Beach. The BSO report alleges the two were arguing verbally when the disagreement escalated to physical violence. The young woman is accused of biting her grandmother on the forearm, and allegedly left teeth marks on the older woman. The Sheriff’s Office report notes that the defendant is two times the size of her grandmother. The accused woman weighs in at 200 pounds and stands 5’8.”
The granddaughter now faces a charge of battery against an elderly victim. This arrest is not the younger woman’s first brush with the law; she has an existing case that involves concealed firearm charges and resisting a police officer.
At the defendant’s first court appearance the judge set bond in the amount of $4,100 and suggested anger management classes would be appropriate.
It is important to remember that as damaging as the facts sound, the accused in this case, as in any criminal case, is entitled to the presumption that she is innocent until proven guilty. All criminal defendants have the right to an attorney and the right to confront and cross-examine any witnesses against them.
Unfortunately, simply being charged with domestic violence carries serious consequences. The accused victim is typically made the subject of a restraining order which becomes part of their permanent criminal record. A defendant is often cut off from contact with children and other family members. Charges like this should be aggressively defended with the goal of securing an acquittal, or at least a reduction of the charges or the sentence.
Source: Sun-Sentinel, “Granddaughter accused of biting Dania Beach Grandmother” Linda Trischitta, Dec. 27, 2012
