Domestic Violence Allegations: Hard To Prove Beyond A Reasonable Doubt, But Harder To Live Down

The standard of evidence required to convict a defendant of any felony charge is “beyond a reasonable doubt,” but the most reliable ways for prosecutors to do this vary from one case to another.  In financial crime cases, records of bank transactions and online money transfers don’t lie.  In drug trafficking cases, the prosecution has a strong case if there is body cam footage of police finding the stash of drugs during a traffic stop, plus a crime lab report identifying the chemical composition of the substances that the police confiscated.  With domestic violence cases, there often are no witnesses to the incident other than the accuser and the defendant.  Police who responded to the call can only report about what they saw when they arrived, and 911 operators can record audio calls, but they do not video chat.  The outcome of the case often comes down to the credibility of the accuser, if he or she is willing to testify.  If you are convicted of a domestic violence offense, the penalties can be severe, even if no one suffered serious injuries.  If you are being accused of domestic violence, contact a West Palm Beach family violence offenses lawyer.

Reality TV Star Accused of Domestic Violence Against Wife and Baby

Richard Morales is a South Florida rapper who performs under the stage name Gunplay and who was a cast member on the reality TV series Love and Hip Hop Miami.  This summer, he was arrested after his wife Vonshae Taylor-Morales called police and told them about his violent behavior toward her and the couple’s infant daughter.  The couple began arguing because Morales was under the influence of alcohol and was playing his Xbox at a loud volume.  Taylor-Morales claims that he pointed a gun at her chest and threatened to shoot her, and then tried to grab the baby out of her arms.

While the case is pending, the courts have ordered Morales to stay away from his wife.  He is only allowed to see his daughter on video chat through an app called Talking Parents.  The fact that the child was present and that a weapon was allegedly involved mean that, if convicted, Morales could face a long prison sentence.  Even if he is acquitted, or if the state drops the charges against him before the case gets to trial, it could take a long time before he can regain the trust of the family courts to the point where he can have unsupervised parenting time with his daughter.  Years ago, Morales faced criminal charges for threatening a business associate with a gun, but those charges were also dropped because the alleged victim refused to testify.

Contact a West Palm Beach Criminal Defense Lawyer Today

Attorney William Wallshein has more than 39 years of experience, including five years as a prosecutor in Palm Beach County.  Contact William Wallshein P.A. in West Palm Beach, Florida to discuss your case.

Sources:

hollywoodunlocked.com/gunplay-wife-florida-laws-cant-divorce-him-amid-domestic-violence-drama/

tmz.com/2023/10/09/gunplay-loses-custody-of-daughter-after-child-abuse-investigation/

collider.com/love-and-hip-hop-miami-couple-divorce-domestic-violence/