Age and Domestic Violence

In general, when most people think of violent crimes or offenders, they think of young people, says Broward Domestic Violence Lawyer William R. Moore. This is due to a combination of factors: television, the media, popular ideas about criminal gangs, personal experiences, and, yes, even reality. Young men tend to the be most likely demographic to engage in criminal behavior more generally, especially crimes like criminal mischief, assault, battery, and burglary. It would be a mistake, however, to dismiss any possibility that a person will commit a crime due to his age, Fort Lauderdale criminal attorney William R. Moore says.

The recent murder-suicide of a Delray Beach couple has brought this fact to the attention of the public. In a state where many people come to retire and live out their last years on our sunny beaches, it is a topic worthy of discussion. Carl Sims was an 89-year-old man who had served on the Detroit police force for the bulk of his career, working as a patrolman from 1946 until 1971. He had been married to his wife, Florence Sims, for 15 years. Florence was 86 years old. On August 23, Carl Sims, facing declining health and another new setback when paramedics had to come to the home during the night. Florence had been suffering from health problems as well.

Sometime before 6:00 a.m., Carl took a gun and shot his wife, then himself. He died instantly, but Florence was discovered by a nurse shortly after the shooting, and survived for several hours.

While murder-suicide may be an extreme example, Broward County criminal lawyer William R. Moore says that domestic violence is a more common type of violence in older populations. Domestic violence may occur in a home when there is drug or alcohol abuse or other problems – and it is not limited only to younger people, or even to men. Domestic violence can be any violence that occurs between members of a household, such as a woman hitting her live-in boyfriend or hurting her child. It can also be between partners who have a child together, even if they have never resided in the same household and even if they have since ended their relationship.

Domestic violence is often a difficult criminal charge to prove, because of the “he said, she said” factor. This is especially true where both parties have visible injuries, as the accused party may have been exercising self-defense.

Broward County criminal lawyer William R. Moore has years of experience in criminal defense, including sex crimes and DUI. A felony or misdemeanor conviction of any type can have far-reaching consequences on your freedom, your employment, and your personal life. If you have been arrested in south Florida, contact Broward County Criminal Defense Attorney William R. Moore, P.A., with offices in Fort Lauderdale-Dade, Broward, and Fort Lauderdale Counties.