Being accused of domestic violence is a very serious situation. Even an accusation can lead to no-contact orders and even dismissal from your job. In order to protect victims from further violence, the laws regarding domestic violence accusations are not as stringent as other crimes. While this is a great policy for those who are genuinely victims, it can also make it easy for someone to file false accusations. Because of this, it is very important for anyone facing domestic violence charges in Washington to contact a defense attorney immediately.

This week, The National Review reported a story of just how devastating domestic violence charges can be. The story talks about Dante Cunningham who played professional basketball for the NBA team the Minnesota Timberwolves last season. In April of this year he was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend and then again for violating the terms of the restraining order against him. These charges had a huge impact on his reputation and are believed to be preventing him from getting signed to another NBA team for next season. This is particularly troubling because Cunningham's accuser, ex-girlfriend Miryah Herron, appears to have made the whole thing up.

In April, Cunningham was arrested when he returned home after a fight with his live-in girlfriend, Herron. He was greeted by police who arrested him for domestic violence assault. Herron called the authorities after the fight took place and reported that Cunningham broke down a bedroom door and strangled her. Cunningham denied all of the accusations and explained that the door was broken several weeks earlier when he accidentally locked himself out.  Still, charges were pending and police began an investigation. Three days later, he was arrested again for allegedly contacting Herron by calling her from his hotel room and making threats to her via Skype. Again, Cunningham denied any wrongdoing.

Recently, police investigation concluded that Cunningham was indeed telling the truth and dropped all of the charges against him. They found no real evidence that Herron had been injured and also discovered that Cunningham made no calls from his hotel room. Perhaps most damning evidence was the IP address that sent Herron Skype threats - it can from her own home.

Though the charges were dropped, Cunningham's reputation has not yet recovered. This story shows the damage that even a domestic violence charge can cause as well as a rare report on a pretty clear-cut case of false domestic violence accusations. It is important for anyone facing domestic violence charges in Seattle to understand that they should not leave it up to the police to declare their innocence. For more information about fighting domestic violence charges, call a domestic violence defense attorney today.