To Spank or Not to Spank: Should the Government Have a Say?

Questionable domestic violence accusations led to court decision on spanking not falling within statutory definition of domestic violence.

2011-12-22

December 22, 2011 (Press-News.org) It's no surprise that disputes between divorced couples can get ugly, especially when children are involved. But what happens when one parent begins making questionable domestic violence allegations? WTSP, a CBS affiliate in Tampa Bay, recently reported on a case where a woman accused her former husband of domestic violence for administering a single spank as punishment to their 14 year old daughter.

Domestic Violence and Florida Law

Domestic violence is a term defined by Florida Statute to include any assault, battery, stalking, kidnapping, false imprisonment or other criminal offense resulting in "physical injury or death of one family or household member by another family or household member." The statute further clarifies that a family or household member includes both current and former spouses along with blood relations, those residing together as a family and parents of a child. All must reside within the same home, with parents of a child presenting the only exception to this rule.

Penalties Associated With Domestic Abuse Charges

Penalties associated with a domestic abuse conviction include mandatory minimum sentences, mandatory fines and a required batterer's intervention program. In addition to official penalties, the social stigma of a domestic violence charge on your record can be devastating. A recent survey conducted by the Florida Department of Corrections found that when police were called to a home, over 86 percent of the population felt an arrest was appropriate based solely on police suspicion. As a result, a charge of domestic abuse should not be taken lightly.

According to WTSP, the 1st District Court of Appeal unanimously reversed an injunction for protection against domestic violence. Ultimately the appeal judges wrote that "this single spank constituted reasonable and non-excessive parental corporal discipline, and, as a matter of law, was not domestic violence."

Allegations of domestic violence can lead to difficulties in both your personal and professional life. As a result, it's important to contact a domestic violence attorney if you are charged with domestic violence crimes.

Article provided by Bauer Crider Pellegrino & Parry
Visit us at www.floridadefense.com

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

JAMA commentary contends vitamin therapy can still reduce stroke

2011-12-22

A commentary by Dr. David Spence of The University of Western Ontario and Dr. Meir Stampfer of the Harvard School of Public Health in today's Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) argues that vitamin therapy still has a role to play in reducing stroke. Vitamin B therapy was once widely used to lower homocysteine levels. Too much of this amino acid in the bloodstream was linked to increased risk of stroke and heart attack. But several randomized trials found lowering homocysteine levels with B vitamins did not result in a cardiovascular benefit. And a ...

The mall as a sanctuary: Study finds holiday shopping outlets aren't just shrines to spending

2011-12-22

An international study of holiday shopping and religion finds that dominant religious groups are more likely to experience "consumption mass hysteria" while shoppers in minority religions may view malls and stores much differently: as central meeting places that "can play an active role in the creation of a sacred event." The study, co-authored by Temple University Fox School of Business marketing professor Ayalla Ruvio, found that holiday consumption in dominant religious settings – such as Christians in the U.S. or Jews in Israel – can lead to greater frenzy and a "social ...

Brooklyn Premises Liability Lawsuits

2011-12-22

New York law requires property owners to ensure the safety of people on their land or in their buildings. This duty generally requires owners to keep their property safe and well-maintained. If a hazard is unavoidable -- such as a large hole in the ground during construction -- the owner must take steps to prevent people from being harmed by the danger. At Simon Eisenberg & Baum, our Brooklyn personal injury attorneys use our experience and knowledge to successfully litigate Brooklyn premises liability claims. It does not matter how obvious the fault of the property ...

Study examines how diving marine mammals manage decompression

2011-12-22

Any diver returning from ocean depths knows about the hazard of decompression sickness (DCS) or "the bends." As the diver ascends and the ocean pressure decreases, gases that were absorbed by the body during the dive, come out of solution and, if the ascent is too rapid, can cause bubbles to form in the body. DCS causes many symptoms, and its effects may vary from joint pain and rashes to paralysis and death. But how do marine mammals, whose very survival depends on regular diving, manage to avoid DCS? Do they, indeed, avoid it? In April 2010, the Woods Hole Oceanographic ...

Do you hear what I hear? Noise exposure surrounds us

2011-12-22

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---Nine out of 10 city dwellers may have enough harmful noise exposure to risk hearing loss, and most of that exposure comes from leisure activities. Historically, loud workplaces were blamed for harmful noise levels. But researchers at the University of Michigan found that noise from MP3 players and stereo use has eclipsed loud work environments, said Rick Neitzel, assistant professor in the U-M School of Public Health and the Risk Science Center. Robyn Gershon, a professor with the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, ...

Astronomers discover rare galaxy at dawn of time

2011-12-22

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Astronomers, including the University of California, Riverside's Bahram Mobasher and his graduate student Hooshang Nayyeri, have discovered that one of the most distant galaxies known is churning out stars at a shockingly high rate. The researchers made the discovery using NASA's Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes. The blob-shaped galaxy, called GN-108036, is the brightest galaxy found to date at such great distances. The galaxy, which was discovered and confirmed using ground-based telescopes, is 12.9 billion light-years away. Data from Spitzer ...

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Bristol Announces the Appointment of a New General Manager

2011-12-22

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Bristol, part of the rapidly-expanding Rezidor Hotel Group, has appointed Christopher Peach as the General Manager of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Bristol. Christopher brings managerial experience and a range of other hospitality-related skills to the position. Christopher has an extensive background in the hospitality industry, spanning 23 years. Having started his career in 1987 as Commis Chef aboard the Queen Elizabeth II cruise liner, he has since held various management positions at different international hotel chains in South Africa, China, ...

Radisson Blu Schwarzer Bock Hotel, Wiesbaden Offers Per Diem Rate

2011-12-22

The Radisson Blu Schwarzer Bock Hotel, Wiesbaden is to offer a per diem rate due to a change in location of its headquarters. During the next two years the US Army Europe, the Seventh Army and the US Army Corps will move to Wiesbaden and the hotel is therefore looking forward to welcome them as guests. The per diem rate is a specific amount of money that an organization allows its employees to spend per day to cover living and travelling expenses in connection with work. It eliminates the need to create expense reports after their business trips. The introduction ...

Belize protected area boosting predatory fish populations

2011-12-22

A 14-year study by the Wildlife Conservation Society in an atoll reef lagoon in Glover's Reef, Belize has found that fishing closures there produce encouraging increases in populations of predatory fish species. However, such closures have resulted in only minimal increases in herbivorous fish, which feed on the algae that smother corals and inhibit reef recovery. The findings will help WCS researchers in their search for new solutions to the problem of restoring Caribbean reefs damaged by fishing and climate change. The study appears in an online version of Aquatic ...

Latest OnTime Agile Tool Adds New Powerful Features for Scrum Teams

2011-12-22

Axosoft, a privately held software company located in Scottsdale, Arizona, has announced the latest release of OnTime. With the latest release of OnTime, users are able to easily switch between Agile / Scrum and traditional terminology. This allows for scrum teams and traditional users to get started quickly in OnTime. With the Agile / Scrum terminology selected, rather than referring to items as Features, OnTime will refer to items as User Stories. Other new powerful features added to this release include the ability for users to see a confirmation of their last change, ...

To Spank or Not to Spank: Should the Government Have a Say?

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: