This can prejudice jurors from the beginning of trial. However, because the prior “conviction” for assault is a part of the requirement for the case to be filed as a felony, the government can let the jury know about the assault starting in jury selection.
#ASSAULT FAMILY HOUSEHOLD MEMBER PREV CONV IAT TRIAL#
In most cases the government is very limited about telling jurors about any of your criminal history in the guilt/innocence phase of an assault trial based on Family Violence. The government is required to prove that you have a previous “conviction,” but in most cases this is not difficult because they can simply offer a judgment that has previously been entered against you as it relates to previous convictions under the Assault subsection of the Family Violence law. The second assault case does not have to be against the same person and there is no time limit on how far back the government can go in your record of past Assault or Family Violence charges. Many people do not realize that even if they are not convicted, but are instead placed on deferred adjudication probation (even non-reporting probation) they have a “conviction” for purposes of enhancing a second domestic violence case. If you have been convicted of Assault under the Family Violence law in Texas or received deferred adjudication for an assault family violence case, a second domestic violence charge will likely be filed as a Third Degree Felony based on the Texas Penal Code’s guidelines enhancements on assault under the family violence law. 13990075 assault family/household member prev conv iat 22.01(b)(2)(a) pc f3 13990081 assault force indiv have abortion thrt/contact 22.01(c)(3) pc ma 13990089 assault force individual to have abortion bi 22.01(b)(7) pc f3 13990087 assault int/reck breath/circ fam mem prev iat 22.01(b-3) pc f2 13990090 assault of pregnant person 22.01(b)(8) pc.