On November 16, 44-year-old Seattle woman Lisa Kyles plead not guilty to the felony charge of attempted first degree assault and harassment of her 14 year old daughter. Both of these charges carry domestic violence qualifiers. Kyles allegedly beat her daughter, doused her in gasoline, then threatened to light her on fire, all because of a bad test score.

According to Detective Richard Kim, police were summoned to a domestic dispute on the night of November 10, where they found Kyles' daughter who "appeared to be visibly shaken and was crying." She reportedly smelled of gasoline.

The teenager told them that, earlier that evening, she had been sitting in a parked van with her sister, Rashaad Kyles-Brooks, when she revealed her test grade. Her sister then hit her "18-20 times" and berated her until she had to leave for work. Subsequently, her mother began to beat her in the shin and hand with a tire iron, a phone charger, and a jumper cable before retrieving a can of gasoline from the back of the van. She then poured the gasoline all over her daughter and flicked a lighter at her, threatening to set her on fire.

The 14 year old then allegedly escaped the van and ran from her mother, who tried to chase her, but was stopped by witnesses. Kyles left in the van before police could arrive, but reportedly returned later to threaten to set the 911 caller's apartment on fire. The child is now in state custody.

Although domestic violence is almost exclusively represented in the media as an assault of one romantic partner by the other, in reality, “domestic violence” is a broad term for a wide range of crimes defined by law in Washington as one of the following:

• Physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or the infliction of fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury or assault, between family or household members
• sexual assault of one family or household member by another
• stalking of one family or household member by another family or household member.

While this definition covers many situations, the “Domestic Violence” tag can also be added to an extensive list of specific misdemeanors and felonies when they are committed against a family or household member, some of which might not intuitively fall under the previous definition. These include, but are not limited to

• Assault in the first, second, third, and fourth degree
• Drive-by shooting
• Reckless endangerment
• Coercion
• Burglary in the first and second degree
• Criminal trespass in the first and second degree
• Malicious mischief in the first, second, and third degree
• Kidnapping in the first and second degree
• Unlawful imprisonment
• Violation of the provisions of a restraining order, no-contact order, or protection order
• Rape in the first and second degree
• Residential burglary
• Stalking
• Interference with the reporting of domestic violence

Even minor misdemeanors can be charged with a “Domestic Violence” qualifier.

Domestic violence convictions can have a severe impact on you for the rest of your life. If you are facing any of the above charges resulting from a situation concerning a family or household member, you may be facing such charges and deserve a well-prepared defense. Please do not hesitate to call the Law Offices of Steve Karimi and (206) 621-8777 or contact us through our website.