A recent story out of Canada caught the attention of our Orange County domestic violence criminal defense attorneys. According to the CBC, a man from Orange County is being held in a Manitoba prison for repeated assaults on his live-in girlfriend in the province. Eric Gunderson, 24, of Newport Beach had allegedly been in Canada illegally for some time and was living with the 29-year-old victim, whose name was not released. He is facing six counts of assault with a weapon, one count of assault, one count of arson with disregard of human life and two counts of threats against the woman, as well as one count of willful damage to the home the two were sharing in Virden, Manitoba. In addition, Gunderson faced immigration charges under Canada' Immigration Refugee Protection Act. It was unclear what penalties he faced, but he was scheduled to appear in court Nov. 18.
The CBC said Gunderson met the woman online in May of 2010 and eventually moved in with her. The relationship had apparently deteriorated before Nov. 7, when the police were called to the couple's home on reports of domestic abuse. The incident allegedly started the night before, when Gunderson demanded money from the woman to buy alcohol. She gave it to him, but between midnight and 7 a.m., police allege he repeatedly assaulted her. In addition to physical violence, he reportedly threw a can of cayenne pepper in her face and threatened her with a knife. He is also accused of trying to destroy the home by setting a corn broom on fire and throwing it in through a broken window. The woman put out the fire before it spread, but neighbors called the police to report that Gunderson was destroying the house. They found him in an alley about a block away.
As Riverside domestic violence criminal defense lawyers, we were interested to see that Gunderson seems to be facing the same kind of charges that he would face if he were accused of assaulting a stranger, not charges specific to domestic abuse. However, if this incident had taken place here in California, Gunderson would be facing charges specifically intended for domestic violence situations -- and they would likely be more serious than comparable non-domestic assault charges. Depending on how seriously the woman was injured and whether he used weapons, Gunderson could face anything from probation up to 28 years in prison on the seven domestic assault charges. The threats, arson and vandalism could add more time -- especially the arson, which carries up to nine years in prison. Moreover, Gunderson would likely face high fines; a protective order keeping him away from the woman; anger management classes; restrictions on his right to own a gun ; and two or more "strikes" under California's three-strikes law.
Those are very serious penalties that no defendant should face alone. That's why, if you're facing a charge of domestic violence in California, you should call Howard Law, P.C. to see how we can help. Often, domestic violence cases grow out of a private fight that just got out of hand -- not a pattern of repeated abuse. In those cases, laws designed to protect repeat victims of domestic violence can be inappropriately heavy-handed, plunging the accused into the criminal justice system and taking away their rights long before any trial. Our Downey domestic violence criminal defense attorneys protect clients' rights from the start, helping them understand and, if it's early enough, fight protective orders and other restrictions on their rights. We help clients resolve these charges as quickly as possible, minimizing their effect on our lives.
If you're accused of domestic battery or other kinds of domestic violence in California, you should call Howard Law, P.C. for help. To learn more or set up a free consultation, send us a message online or call toll-free a 1-800-872-5925.
