Domestic violence charges filed against rapper 50 Cent

Curtis Jackson, known to many people as 50 Cent, has been accused of domestic violence, stemming from an incident in late June. When police arrived at the scene, there were broken pieces of furniture and clothes were thrown on the floor. The victim of the incident was injured, she says, when Jackson kicked her. In addition to the domestic violence charge, Jackson faces four counts of vandalism. If he is found guilty, the maximum penalty Jackson will face is five years in prison and a hefty fine (nearly $50,000). There are a few things to take away from this story, and the first is that domestic violence is a very serious charge. That is an obvious fact — but some people may not realize how such a charge puts the accused in a corner. The court of public opinion rarely reflects well on an accused domestic violence offender, and that can lead to a partial loss of the accused person’s presumed innocence. As a result, the accused person — even if he or she is cleared in court — may suffer some personal or professional consequences as a result of the charge. They are “guilty” in the eyes of others; and that may affect their relationships with their friends and family. In addition, it can make it very difficult for the offender to attain work. None of this is to say that truly guilty domestic violence offenders deserve to be let off easy; it is merely something to realize. Those accused of such crimes need to take the charge seriously and they need to rigorously build a thorough defense case. Source: CNN, “Alleged victim in 50 Cent’s domestic violence case is model, actress,” July 7, 2013