A quick survey of newspapers around the State of Texas reveals a number of domestic violence related stories from over the weekend.

In San Antonio, a domestic violence suspect was shot and killed.  A domestic disturbance near Dallas left two officers dead.

Law enforcement, prosecutors and judges are justifiably on edge when dealing with domestic violence in courts.  Potential punishments for offenders range from the most minor misdemeanors to the most serious felonies.

Many times, I have to explain to my clients that most of them will be viewed as potential future murderers, in the eyes of the system.  No officer, prosecutor or judge wants to be the one that let the murderer go on some previous charge.  Knowing the perspective of the judges and prosecutors helps a person’s lawyer better defend them in court.  The lawyer should also keep updated on what’s playing out in the news, to know when sensitivities are particularly high.