What is a mandatory arrest policy?

Florida's framework is among the most arrest-favoring in the country. Where an officer develops probable cause to believe an act of domestic violence has occurred, arrest is the expected outcome.

That holds even where the alleged victim doesn't want anyone arrested, even where there's no visible injury, and even where the incident appears minor.

Two consequences worth understanding. Someone is usually going to jail once officers are called, and the person who called doesn't get to decide who. And where both people have injuries or both make allegations, officers are directed to attempt to determine a primary aggressor — a judgment made quickly, at a chaotic scene, on incomplete information.

That primary aggressor determination is frequently where these cases go wrong, and it's examinable later. Who called first, who was calmer when officers arrived, and who spoke better English have all influenced outcomes in ways the evidence didn't support.