Any criminal allegation can affect your freedom and finances. However, few accusations carry as much social stigma as claims of domestic assault or other forms of domestic violence.
Anyone accused of mistreating their spouse, intimate partner or family members could face both social repercussions and criminal charges. As a business owner or skilled professional in Texas, it’s important for you to understand the possible consequences of a domestic violence charge before you make any decisions about how to respond to it.
Convictions and guilty pleas could cost you your license
If you work in a licensed profession like accounting or medicine, criminal charges can impact your license. You can face a disciplinary hearing with the state board overseeing your profession that could lead to the loss of your license.
Not only may they discover the criminal charges during a routine background check associated with a new license application or renewal, but they could also receive an anonymous tip from your accuser or someone familiar with the situation. A conviction or guilty plea will make it hard for you to defend against those potentially career-ending allegations.
Convictions could affect how well you do your job
Even if your employer doesn’t mind a conviction on your record and you don’t need a license to do your work, a conviction could still affect your job performance and income. If the alleged victim requests a protective order, that might limit where you can do your job.
Whether you are a transportation professional or a plumber, not being able to work in certain neighborhoods could affect your income. As if that weren’t bad enough, if you work as a police officer, security guard or other armed professional, a domestic violence conviction could make it illegal for you to carry a firearm as part of your job.
A conviction could damage your reputation with the local community
If people hear about the allegations against you and then see that you plead guilty to those charges or got convicted, they could make assumptions about your character and may choose to go with a competitor instead of with you. In some cases, people might go so far as to create online petitions or leave numerous negative reviews about your company online to keep others from patronizing you.
Understanding the many ways that domestic violence accusations could affect you as a business owner or professional can help you respond appropriately to minimize the impact of those charges on your livelihood.