Arrests in domestic violence cases do not only occur with ordinary people, but with celebrities and well-known sports figures. On Aug. 17, Tywon Lawson and his girlfriend were both arrested in what the sheriff of Arapahoe County, Colorado, has called a “domestic violence incident.”
Lawson, a guard for the professional basketball team, the Denver Nuggets, was arrested on two misdemeanor charges: property damages and harassment. Both charges are listed as domestic violence-related. His pregnant girlfriend was arrested for property damages and are also listed as domestic violence-related.
The property damage charges arose from the damage to cell phones and the harassment charges apparently came from an argument that was said to have involved screaming and yelling.
A judge in the case has issued a protection order against the pro-basketball player, which prohibits any contact from Lawson toward his girlfriend. Both parties posted a $1,000 bond and were released. The next hearing for Lawson has now been postponed until Sept. 13 so deputies will have more time to investigate the case, according to prosecutors.
This the second time this year that Lawson, age 25, has been arrested by Colorado police officers. In January, he was arrested on a warrant for an April 2012 case in Arapahoe County for careless driving and other charges. He pleaded guilty to one charge of permitting an unauthorized person to drive and the rest of the charges were dropped.
Domestic violence charges can have serious consequences and should never be treated lightly. Restraining orders or protective orders are designed to protect an individual from many situations, including harassment and stalking to threats of physical violence. In some cases, those orders may be issued without grounds to support the allegations or for the sole purpose of gaining leverage in a child custody case. A family law attorney can often be helpful in these cases by explaining options for defending against such orders.
Source: thedenverchannel.com, “Hearing delayed for Nuggets Tywon ‘Ty’ Lawson in domestic violence case” No author given, Aug. 23, 2013