Last October, KTBC-TV reported a Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) report showing 157 women killed in domestic violence homicides in Texas in 2015 was the largest amount the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization has seen since they began keeping record. That same month, KXAN-TV reported that Hope Alliance, the only domestic violence shelter in Williamson County, was “asking the community to step forward and donate so they can build a new, larger shelter.”

According to KTBC, the domestic violence shelter in Williamson County turns away 45 families every month. KXAN reported that Hope Alliance had seen a 35 percent increase in services over the last five years as well as a 67 percent increase in the number of children being helped.

Three of the domestic violence homicides occurred in Williamson County, one year after there had been no such deaths. KXAN reported that Hope Alliance provided shelter to more than 350 people in 2015 with more on a wait list, but was hoping to build a new, larger shelter. The organization’s current facility houses 35 people a night, but KXAN reported that Hope Alliance hoped the new space would allow anywhere from 50 to 75 beds total.

On March 21, KXAN reported that thousands of purple postcards sent by advocates, allies, and survivors were delivered to state legislators at the Capitol Monday to support funding requests for more than $60 million for programs and shelters. “I was faced with a staff member standing at my door with tears in her eyes saying we are out of space, I have two intakes waiting, how do I decide who is in the shelter that’s in the least danger because the two that are waiting are in grave shelter,” Leigh Anne Fry, Board Chair of the Texas Council on Family Violence, told KXAN. “That’s something that’s pretty typical for what goes on in Texas.”

Georgetown Domestic Violence Attorney

As housing for victims of domestic violence continues to be an issue in Williamson County and surrounding areas of Texas, alleged offenders accused of crimes relating to family violence can face increased chances of prison sentences. The safety of an alleged victim of domestic violence will always take precedence over the freedom of a person accused of committing an act of domestic violence.

While domestic assault is frequently a misdemeanor offense, certain aggravating factors can result in felony charges. Felony convictions carry much steeper consequences for alleged offenders.

An alleged victim’s version of events can differ tremendously from the account of an alleged offender, and it is critical for any person who has been arrested for any kind of crime of domestic violence to not say anything to authorities without legal representation. Being arrested for an alleged criminal offense is not the same as being convicted.

Michael J. Price is an experienced criminal defense lawyer in Georgetown who can review all the facts of your case and fight to help you achieve the most favorable outcome that results in the fewest possible penalties.