A man who is allegedly a repeat domestic violence offender was handed down a sentence that was above the maximum penalty for an incident that supposedly occurred in 2012. The maximum sentence for the man's most recent domestic violence assault charge was 26 years in prison under the state sentencing guidelines. However, because of the man's past criminal history concerning domestic violence, the judge chose to impose a 30-year sentence on the man.

The 50-year-old man was convicted for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, leaving her with five broken bones in her face. She was barely conscious after the alleged assault and racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills. The alleged incident occurred merely five months after the man was released from prison for serving a 15-year sentence for a separate domestic violence matter. In the previous case, the man had allegedly smashed an ex-girlfriend's skull with a cinder block. In yet another case, he had been accused of stabbing a woman in the leg.

The man might be able to appeal his conviction since he was sentenced above the maximum sentencing guidelines. A criminal defense lawyer might be able to help him cite other cases in which sentencing above the guidelines may have been overturned to help his client get his conviction overturned.

Obtaining a criminal defense lawyer may be a good first step for people who are convicted of domestic violence charges. Lawyers might be able to help them negotiate a plea bargain with the prosecution. For instance, prosecutors might offer them a shorter prison sentence if they agree to have no contact with the alleged victim and to enroll in anger management courses.

Source: KOMO, "Repeat domestic violence offender gets above-max sentence", Hanna Scott, November 01, 2013