The Los Angeles Dodgers player Julio Urías is facing domestic abuse charges following an incident at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. The claim is that Urías was taking photos with a few women during a Major League Soccer match he was attending when his date got jealous and stormed off. Urías allegedly followed his date, grabbing her from behind, slamming her against a fence, and pulling her hair. He then swung a punch. The altercation left the woman with strangulation marks and a bloody nose. Shortly after that, Urías was arrested. After the arrest, he failed to show up for his scheduled court hearing in LA, and he still has not been officially charged with a crime. However, it appears MLB will likely still severely punish him for this incident.

At some point, Urías is likely to face legal consequences and professional and reputational ramifications due to the event. This event is not the first time Urías has been in trouble for violent charges. In 2019, the pitcher received a 20-game suspension following an arrest for domestic violence charges for his involvement in an altercation with a woman in a shopping center parking lot. While the charges were dropped, Major League Baseball followed through with the game suspension, stating that Urías had violated the league's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy.

What Are Domestic Violence Charges in Pennsylvania?

Domestic abuse charges are very serious allegations. While everyone deserves to feel safe and be protected against violence from those they love, sometimes things get out of hand when tempers flare. Under Pennsylvania laws domestic violence is covered under not just one law but a variety of laws in Pennsylvania. These laws vary in severity; some are misdemeanor charges, while others are felony charges that can have more severe consequences and penalties.

Pennsylvania's Criminal Code defines abuse as committing the following acts against one or more people in a family, household, sexual or intimate partners, or people who share biological parenthood:

• Knowingly, intentionally, or recklessly attempting or causing any kind of bodily injury
• Committing or attempting to commit an assault
• False imprisonment
• Physical or sexual abuse of a minor child
• Causing the other person reasonable fear of imminent serious bodily injury
• Demonstrating a pattern of conduct or repeated behavior that causes the victim to be in constant reasonable fear of bodily injury

Many acts can fall within this definition; a few examples include the following:

• Physical abuse by hitting, kicking, choking, punching, or using weapons such as guns or knives to cause bodily injury
• Preventing someone from leaving the house
• Sexual abuse, including rape or nonconsensual sexual acts
• Threatening children
• Preventing someone from working

Are You Facing Domestic Violence Charges in Pennsylvania?

If you are facing domestic violence charges, the LLF Law Firm can help. Our Criminal Defense Team will fight relentlessly to get you as low a sentence as possible. If you are a first-time offender, we may be able to get your sentence reduced to probation, admission to the Domestic Violence Diversion Program, or another non-prison alternative. If you have previous charges, we can also defend your case vigorously and do our best to minimize your sentence. Retain the LLF Law Firm by calling 888.535.3686 or submitting this online form to schedule your consultation today.