In her best-selling memoir, comedian Tiffany Haddish accused her ex-husband William Stewart of domestic violence during the course of their relationship. Now, Stewart is fighting back with a defamation lawsuit. In a recent civil suit, Stewart is suing Haddish, the book's co-author Tucker Max, and the book's publisher Simon & Schuster.

The controversy began with the release of Haddish's 2017 biography, The Last Black Unicorn. In the book, Haddish alleges that Stewart repeatedly physically assaulted her during the course of their marriage. In addition, Haddish claimed Stewart was potentially responsible for the death of their unborn child. While the book doesn't name Stewart, it is clear that he is the person it refers to.

For his part, Stewart denies that he ever assaulted Haddish at any point. What's more, he claims the pregnancy in question was terminated by Haddish through an abortion. "For the defendants' own profit, they painted my clients as abusers in a best-selling book,” Stewart's attorney said. “After a thorough review of the facts and evidence, we know that the assertions made by the defendants about my clients in The Last Black Unicorn are patently untrue."

Defending Against Domestic Violence Accusations

While there is a stigma with merely being accused of domestic violence, the truth is there are still ways to defend yourself in court. An attorney with experience in criminal defense law can help you prove that the incident in question was a misunderstanding or even a total fabrication. Some common defenses in domestic violence cases include the following.

Self-Defense

Self-defense is one of the most common defenses to a domestic violence charge. In many domestic situations there are instances of mutual aggression where both parties are culpable. In other cases, one spouse may initiate the incident only for the second spouse to be arrested for fending them off. It's also common for a victim who has experienced a pattern of abuse from their spouse to lash out at slight provocation, only to end up being charged themselves. With so many domestic violence incidents becoming “he said, she said” situations, it's critical to have a defense attorney that can show the jury that you were not the aggressor.

Challenging the Evidence

Domestic violence cases rarely have mountains of evidence. In fact, most cases are built solely on the accusations of your accuser. With little evidence, an attorney may be able to show a jury that your accuser isn't reliable. In some cases it will be possible to show proof your accuser has lied.

Alibi

A less common defense in these cases is claiming an alibi. While it's not used frequently, in some instances an accuser might misidentify their attacker due to either confusion or even a false accusation. If you have been charged with domestic violence and have an alibi for the time of the incident it is imperative you hire a defense attorney that can use that defense to your advantage.

The Law Offices of Steve Karimi

While it's true you're innocent until proven guilty, the fact is the mere accusation of domestic violence can be enough to impact your life negatively in a major way. Because of these consequences, it's imperative you have a criminal defense attorney that will vigorously defend you. Steve Karimi is a former prosecutor that has dedicated his law practice to defending those charged with criminal offenses. Contact The Law Office of Steve Karimi to set up your free consultation.