When most people think about the consequences of a domestic violence conviction, their minds go immediately to the most obvious penalties: jail time, fines, and court-ordered classes. While those consequences are certainly serious and should never be minimized, they often represent only the beginning of the challenges a person will face after a DV conviction in California. The reality is that the long-term collateral consequences of having a domestic violence conviction on your permanent record can be far more damaging and far more enduring than the penalties imposed by the court on sentencing day. Understanding these consequences in their full scope is critical for anyone facing domestic violence charges, because the decisions you make during the legal process will directly affect your life for years and potentially decades to come. The most immediate and visible consequence of a domestic violence conviction is that it becomes part of your permanent public criminal record in the state of California. Unlike some other criminal offenses that may be eligible for expungement or reduction relatively quickly after completion of the sentence, domestic violence convictions carry a particular and lasting stigma that follows defendants long after they have completed their jail time, paid their fines, […]