You get into an argument with your spouse, and it ends with the two of you yelling at each other. It’s not something you anticipated when you got married, but the relationship has changed over the years. The two of you are under a lot of stress. Things got out of hand.
In fact, maybe the neighbors heard what was happening and someone called the police. As the squad car pulls up to the front door, you find yourself wondering if you have actually broken the law — or just how close you got.
The link
It is worth noting that some researchers have found links between shouting and physical violence, especially with parents. Frequent yelling does make it more likely that some sort of physical action could follow. It’s clear that your relationship may be headed in that direction.
There is also a chance that yelling could lead to physical threats. In the heat of the moment, what did you say? Did you threaten to harm your spouse? Did they have reason to believe you? Maybe you never went through with it, but this is one more indicator that things are getting closer to that point.
Will you get arrested?
You may. If you actually made physical contact with your spouse or a child, you could get arrested. In some cases, you could also get arrested for making credible threats. This is true outside of domestic violence cases. Threatening someone on the street could lead to assault charges, for instance, even if you never touch them. If those threats appear convincing, it’s still assault in many instances.
That said, in many cases, merely yelling will not lead to an arrest, especially if it is in your own home. Instead, the police may attempt to calm everyone down and make sure that you don’t commit a crime, and then they’ll leave.
If the incident happens in public, though, you could get arrested for something like disturbing the peace. You have to be more careful with your behavior outside of the home.
Remember that your neighbor may not have seen exactly what took place. They just heard the fight and thought it was worse than it was. That doesn’t mean you’ll get arrested, but you do want to think about what the police believe you have already done when they show up at the door.
Your rights
If you do get arrested on domestic violence charges, you must know what legal defense options you have in Florida. This is especially true if you believe you did nothing wrong and never crossed that legal line to physical abuse in the first place.
