In Pennsylvania, the law provides protections to people who think they are being domestically abused. However, the protections that these laws provide – through protection from abuse (PFA) orders – are triggered immediately after someone claims that they are the victim of domestic violence. This puts the person who is being accused in a difficult spot: There is no proof of a crime, yet, but they are being punished by having their movement restricted and by being forced to isolate themselves from specific people – people who are often very close to them.
Unfortunately, being falsely accused of abuse is a common thing. Fighting against those false accusations is crucial to protect your future.
Why Being Falsely Accused of Abuse is So Common
Out of all of the crimes on the books, false accusations of domestic violence are among the most common. In fact, domestic violence laws are often abused by “victims” who use the protections that those laws afford as a way of getting leverage over the person they are “accusing.”
In Pennsylvania, this is easy to do because of the way the legal system is structured. Emergency and even temporary PFAs can be obtained quickly by people who claim to be victims, in hearings that do not involve the accused party, at all. Judges make these PFA decisions based solely on what the purported victim claims to have happened – without the accused present at the hearing, there is hardly ever any evidence that these claims are exaggerated or even outright lies.
Despite the ease with which they can be obtained, PFAs are serious accusations that have significant impacts on family matters. They can strip the accused of child custody and force them to isolate themselves from their immediate family, out of fear of violating the PFA and being charged with criminal contempt. This makes PFAs ripe for abuse by people looking for leverage over someone else: Divorcing spouses in the lead up to child custody hearings can, and often do, use PFAs to taint the other spouse in the eyes of the law.
How to Protect Yourself After False Accusations of Abuse
Getting a dedicated lawyer to protect yourself from these groundless accusations is the best way to minimize the damage that they can cause. The world of PFA orders moves very quickly, and often out of sight of the accused, making them almost impossible to defend against if you do not have inside knowledge of how things work and what is going on.
Pennsylvania PFA Defense Attorney
This is where PFA defense attorney Joseph D. Lento can be a massive help to your cause. If you have been notified that there is a PFA against you, but know that you have not abused the person who is filing it, you need the legal help that attorney Lento can provide.
Call the Lento Law Firm at (215) 535-5353 to quickly schedule a free consultation or contact him online to start preparing your defense to these baseless accusations, today.
