Though the National Football League (NFL) has received the most publicity lately regarding players' domestic violence charges, football is not the only sport to deal with this problem. In June of this year US women's soccer player, Hope Solo, was arrested after an altercation took place at a gathering in a family member's home in Kirkland, Washington. As discussed before on this blog, Solo was arrested and charged with 2 misdemeanor counts of fourth degree domestic violence assault for allegedly hitting her half-sister and 17-year-old nephew. Police were called to the family home after she reportedly became intoxicated and assaulted the family members during an argument.

Domestic violence in sports is a hot button issue at the moment, but Solo remains strong in her stance that she committed no crime. She pled not guilty to her charges and plans to fight her them in court, which is set for November 4th. Earlier last week, the 32-year-old soccer star released a statement on her Facebook page asserting her innocence. Though she did not go into detail, she wrote the following:

“once all the facts come to light and the legal process is concluded, I am confident that I will be fully exonerated.”

So far, there has been no word about Solo facing suspension from her team and she is expected to start in goal during a championship game next month. Some find this unfair considering the emphasis placed on suspending NFL players who have simply been accused of domestic violence. It remains to be seen just what the facts of the incident really are, however, false reporting of domestic violence does occur and sometimes the alleged aggressor of a violent argument may actually be victim. Because of the importance of protecting your reputation and receiving justice, it is vital that anyone accused of domestic violence charges in Washington contact an experience defense lawyer as soon as possible. Only by building a strong defense can anyone expect to successfully fight their charges and prove their innocence.