Charlotte Divorce Lawyer Blog

Amidst domestic violence allegations that he grabbed and bruised his wife's arm during a heated argument New Year's weekend, San Francisco swore in Ross Mirkarimi as its new sheriff this past weekend. The couple's neighbor, Ivory Madison, a trained attorney and writing coach, documented the injuries at his wife's request and later reported the incident to police.

Since the investigation began, Mirkarimi's wife, Eliana Lopez -- a former telenovela star in her native Venezuela -- hasn't cooperated with police. Last Wednesday, investigators served a search warrant on Madison, removing a video camera and iPhone, both of which are said to have evidence of the injuries.

Continue reading "San Francisco Swears in Sheriff Accused of Domestic Violence" »

Around eight o'clock on Wednesday morning, Gregory Hicks of Franklin County, North Carolina fatally shot his ex-girlfriend, Rosemary Guzman, before killing himself. The two, who shared two young children, had an on-again, off-again relationship and a history of domestic violence.

Hours before Hicks, 29, showed up at the home of Guzman's friend, with whom she was staying, Guzman called Louisburg, North Carolina police and reported that Hicks had assaulted her. A warrant was issued, but police were unable to locate Hicks. In August, Hicks was convicted of assaulting Guzman, 24; the arrest warrant alleged Hicks punched Guzman before threatening to return later and kill her.

Continue reading "North Carolina Man Kills Ex-Girlfriend, Self" »

One of the stars of the Boston Red Sox team that finally broke the franchise's World Series Championship draught, Manny Ramirez, was arrested in Broward County, Florida on charges of domestic violence. The 39-year-old Dominican slugger, who retired in April following a second positive test for prohibited substances, spent the night in jail after Juliana, his once-estranged wife accused him hitting her in the face, which caused her to fall and hit her head into a bedpost.

At his Tuesday arraignment, bail was set at $2,500 and Ramirez was ordered to stay away from Juliana. When police arrived at the couple's Weston, FL home, Ramirez denied hitting her, claiming he was only holding her by the shoulders when she tried to move, and that caused her to hit her head.

Continue reading "Recently-Retired Baseball Star Arrested on Domestic Violence Charges" »

Mel Gibson, who has faced claims of domestic violence lodged by ex-lover Russian pianist Oksana Grigorieva, has come to an agreement over custody and child support of the 22-month-old child, Lucia, the two share. Although specific details of the custody agreement haven't been released, it's assumed Grigorieva will continue to have primary custody of their daughter.

And less than two weeks after they agreed to the child's custody, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Peter Lichtman announced Gibson will pay periodic payments to Grigorieva totaling $750,000 and establish a trust for their child.

Continue reading "Gibson and Baby Momma Hash Out Custody, Child Support" »

Stephen Goldsmith has just resigned as deputy mayor of New York City after he was arrested for domestic violence when an argument with his wife turned violent. The former mayor of Indianapolis, who faced wide criticism for failing to properly handle the snowstorm that shut down NYC over the Christmas holiday. Arrested on July 30 after his wife, Margaret, told Washington, DC-police Goldsmith smashed a phone and grabbed her when she tried to call them during the argument in which he shoved her into the kitchen counter.

At the time of the dispute, Margaret dug her nails into his arm, according to a report. But since Goldsmith spent two nights in jail, Margaret has back-pedaled, issuing a statement in which she denied she came to any physical harm and said there was no violence nor had the commission of a crime taken place.

Continue reading "Former Indianapolis Mayor Denies Claim of Domestic Violence" »

Violent child custody battles aren't unique to the United States. In Jaipur, the capital city of the Indian state of Rajasthan known as the "Pink City", Pradeep Jain, who was engaged in a custody battle with his wife, killed four, including his wife, before committing suicide.

Described as educated, but short-tempered, a lawyer appointed to assist him with his long-term custody battle with his wife and in-laws said, "He used to keep to himself and won't speak if not spoken to. He used to flare up in a matter of seconds." The battle began soon after his 2006 marriage to Devali-woman, Suman.

Continue reading "Indian Child Custody Battle Leads to Murder" »

Before California lawmakers began their summer recess, they quickly passed three bills intended to provide more protection to victims of domestic violence. According to the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, which credits an increased awareness of domestic violence by legislators, more than 600 assaults every day in California, and one of every 20 homicides in the state in 2008 were the result of domestic violence.

One of the bills, SB723, would allow judges to issue restraining orders for up to 10 years against anyone convicted of felony or misdemeanor domestic violence. Another, AB454, would require a victim to be notified before a court modifies or end a protective order. The final, SB430, adds suffocation and choking to the list of actions included under the current felony domestic violence law. A few other similar bills progressed: a bill that seeks to protect domestic violence and other crime victims from having their address and personal information posted on the internet; and a final bill that makes it easier for victims to get out of a lease to escape attackers.

Continue reading "California Passes Multiple Domestic Violence Bills" »

In what sounds like a scene from his television series, Homicide: Life on the Street, actor Daniel Baldwin--brother of Alec Baldwin--filed for divorce from his wife of four years because, as his divorce complaint alleges, she threatened to kill him. Joanne, according to Daniel, came into their bedroom one night earlier this month and informed him she'd watched a documentary on women who kill their husbands.

Baldwin says she then declared, "Now I know how to do it, I understand why they did it. You have been warned." Their daughter heard the remark and asked, "Is mommy going to kill us?" Joanne then punched him in the head, hit him in the face with a phone, slapped him, and pulled a knife on him. After obtaining a temporary restraining order, Baldwin said, "Due to recent events in our home and for the safety of my children and myself, I have made this decision."

Continue reading "Television Star Files for Divorce, Says Wife Attacked Him" »

The son of Oscar-winning actor, Nicolas Cage, himself arrested for domestic violence this year, is facing domestic violence charges after getting into a tussle with his wife, not once, but two times. Earlier this month, Weston Cage, 20, and his new wife, Nikki Williams, attacked one another, with Williams allegedly cutting him with a bottle and punching him. Both were taken into custody and reportedly entered rehab following the incident.

But earlier this week, Weston was again arrested for attacking his pregnant wife. He was been charged with felony domestic violence and was held on $50,000 bail. Few details of the latest arrest are known; however, some media outlets have reported that Weston was taken to a hospital following the arrest because of self-inflicted injuries.

Continue reading "Legal Problems for Actor's Son" »

During a routine child custody exchange, 25-year-old Christopher Erdman allegedly shot and killed Sharon Lawrence, the mother of his children. Erdman has been charged with murder for shooting 25-year-old Lawrence four times in a Milton, Georgia parking lot near a bank branch.

Police say their two children, who witnessed the shooting, were taken by Erdman to a family member's home before he took Lawrence to the hospital, where authorities arrested him. Relatives say the couple used to live together.

Continue reading "Woman Killed During Custody Exchange" »

On Wednesday, a Broward County, Florida was sentenced to three years' probation for holding a steak knife to her husband's throat as she demanded he sign divorce papers and the deed to their house. In the May 2009 confrontation, 53-year-old Tamara Strulovici, who pleaded no contest to aggravated assault after prosecutors dropped an attempted murder charge, approached her husband from behind before putting the knife to his throat. She eventually sliced the fingers of his left hand.

Through a Russian interpreter, Strulovici indicated that she was "not sure" whether she and her husband, James Little, are still married. "I heard the rumors that he did apply for a divorce, [but] I don't do that because I don't have any money."

Continue reading "Florida Woman Sentenced for Demanding Divorce with Knife" »

Last month, Missouri lawmakers unanimously passed what is the first major overhaul of domestic violence laws in the state in four decades. Changes to the bill, which the House passed 138-0, and the Senate voted 33-0, followed most recommendations of the domestic violence task force, specially created by the attorney general's office.

Included among the bill's changes are that people seeking protection orders will no longer be charged filing fees, and judges will be able to customize terms of an order according to the situation.

Continue reading "Missouri Overhauls Domestic Violence Laws" »

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a new bill that would ban parents from "conducting a dating or sexual relationship" within their home until their divorces are final. The bill's sponsor, Robert Leclair, who reportedly went through a contentious divorce himself and is the former president of the disbanded Fathers United for Equal Justice, argues the bill is intended to prevent domestic violence and shield children until the parents have resolved their divorce.

Critics of the bill argue that it takes away parents' rights and could be unconstitutional.

Continue reading "Bill Seeks to Ban Divorcing Parents From Engaging in Sex at Home" »

The Miami Dolphins' Brandon Marshall, 27, was the victim of domestic violence last after he and his wife, Michi, stabbed him with a kitchen knife. Shortly after the incident on April 23, 2011, Marshall was transported to Broward General Hospital, where he underwent surgery to repair the wound to his abdomen. Meanwhile, Michi was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and bail was set at $7,500.

Domestic discord is not new to the couple. In 2009, when Marshall was still with the Denver Broncos, both he and Michi, who was his fiancee at the time, were both arrested on disorderly conduct charges after two police officers witnessed them kicking and punching one another outside of his Atlanta condominium. The charges were later dismissed.

Continue reading "Member of Miami Dolphins a Victim of Domestic Violence" »

Georgia's governor, Nathan Deal (R), has proposed that the state eliminate all state-funded programs designed to assist victims of domestic violence, as well as programs intended to fight domestic violence. In place of the state dollars, Georgia intends to finance these programs with $4.4 million in federal welfare money, money that's part of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

The US Department of Health and Human Services has raised questions over the plan, as have victims' rights groups, which argue that by funding shelters with TANF funds entirely, the shelters could jeopardize their ability to provide services to women without children. Childless women make up between 30 and 40% of all women seeking domestic violence services in Georgia.

Continue reading "Georgia to Eliminate State Funding of Domestic Violence Programs" »