Maryland public figure faces domestic violence accusations

According to reports, a Maryland city manager is facing legal trouble after his wife reported that an emotional confrontation turned violent. Shortly after returning from a family vacation, the man’s wife successfully filed for a temporary protective order due to an apparent outburst while they were out of the state.

As for now, the public official hasn’t been charged for domestic violence, but his wife could decide to press charges in the future. The reason why the woman decided to seek a restraining order is because her husband became very emotional during their vacation. He threatened to commit suicide, and apparently struck his wife and pushed her to the ground in the process.

Since the incident, the city manager has made a public statement acknowledging the issues his family is currently going through. In sensitive cases, such as this one, any public statements can affect the outcome of criminal actions, which is why it’s very important to be cautious about speaking to the press or police when charges may be pending.

In many cases where domestic violence is alleged, emotions run high. When a person is in this type of situation, they may act entirely out of character. As such, investigations into accusations of violence should be very thorough in order to allow both parties involved to provide their own story and recollection of events.

Since reports of the restraining order came forward, one of the city manager’s colleagues came forward with a statement that could play a role in any future legal action. A city commissioner made reference to the man’s temper. No matter how this case is resolved, this particular statement and claims of domestic violence could be detrimental to the manager’s professional reputation and goals.

Source: The Dispatch, “Protective Order Filed Against City Manager,” Steven Green, May 17, 2013