According to a report by the Chicago Sun-Times, the wife of the Chicago Cubs shortstop, Addison Russell, has leveled accusations of infidelity against him. Meanwhile, her friend alleged in a post on Instagram, which has since been deleted, that Russell struck his wife in the presence of the couple’s children. Russell, age 23, has denied the accusations.

As a result of the allegations of domestic violence, Major League Baseball (MLB) has said it will conduct an investigation. On Wednesday, June 7, the Cubs provided a statement which indicated that the club intended to cooperate with the Commissioner’s Office during its investigation. The Cubs also said that Russell would not be in uniform until the investigation was sorted out.

The MLB has implemented a new domestic violence policy, under which it issued suspensions of Aroldis Chapman, Jose Reyes, Hector Olivera and Jeurys Familia. However, in each of these cases, there was a police report. But in the case of Russell and that of Derek Norris, the victim did not file a police report. It will be interesting to see what steps the MLB will take in the absence of precedent.

Claims of domestic violence can have very serious legal consequences for the person accused of the crime. Among them are eviction or the removal from home, and steep fines and legal fees. For violating a Domestic Violence order, the accused can face criminal penalties or imprisonment. In addition, a judgment of domestic violence can adversely impact the defendant with respect to alimony and child custody.

If you are facing a charge of domestic violence, call the criminal defense attorneys at Brill Legal Group. They know how to develop an effective criminal defense, have charges dismissed, negotiate plea agreements and defend against charges at trial.