Question

A police officer is dispatched to Union St. When he arrives to the home, it is reported to him by neighbors that a husband was abusing his wife. The wife confirms the story, and the husband is arrested shortly thereafter. Which of the following is TRUE about the case that would follow?
a. When the husband is charged, the case would be a criminal case.
b. The wife gets charged, and the case would be a civil case.
c. When the husband is charged, the charge would be homicide.
d. When the husband is charged, he would likely be charged under tort laws for negligence.

Answer 1

The correct answer is A) when the husband is charged, the case is going to be a criminal case.

The sentence that is true about the case that would follow is, when the husband is charged, the case is going to be a criminal case.

The husband is going to be charged because he abused his wife. It is a case of Domestic Violence. There are many charges but the most common involves a relationship where the perpetrator injures unlawful emotionally and physically to the victim. They could be a battery, assault, stalking, Elder abuse, and child abuse. Depending on the type of offense, the punishment is different. The variables to consider are the type of harm, the kind of offense, the age of the victim, or the circumstances.  

Answer 2

First of all, there is no reason to charge the wife - she is not doing anything wrong.

Also, it would not be a homicide, unless he kills his wife.
It is also not negligence, since he is actively abusing her.
So the correct answer is:
a. When the husband is charged, the case would be a criminal case.