[bornblue_53]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Illinois

My boyfriend got really drunk and hit me, I went to the hospital and they called the cops and took my statement... We have a child, he went to jail with a order of no contact with me or our daughter, to make a long story short...

If i want this to all go away and I say that it never happened will I get charged with anything?

[aardvarc]

First, you're likely to be ignored - almost 80% of domestic violence victims try to change their story to get their abusers back - and the prosecution is going to let that go in one ear and right out the other. In addition, yes, YOU can go to jail for making false statements. If you are willing to sit in jail, feel free to make up whatever story you wish, but the fact that YOU called police AND went to the hospital is a pretty good indication that your initial report was the truthful one, and so the prosecution is going to be motivated to work to get him some behind-bars time, not only to punish HIM, but to protect you and your daughter (whether you realize or believe that you need such protection or not). Domestic violence, especially when there is substance abuse occurring at the same time, has a strong tendency to escalate over time, and the prosecution and courts would much rather deal with a case that has injuries involved NOW, rather than have to deal with a potential murder trial later.

Once you call the police, the whole thing is basically out of your hands and you are only a witness. You should also be aware that if the no contact order is violated and the court has any inkling that you were part of allowing or encouraging it to happen, you will open yourself to an investigation from Child Protective Services who will evaluate whether your child should be removed from your care for "failure to protect".

Domestic violence is a serious issue, and since your case included violence to a level where you went to the hospital, your case is going to be handled as one with very high risk for future violence (including homicide) - so before you decide to shrug off such violence, think very carefully about having to make the choice between your abuser and your child; because it could potentially come down to that. In the meantime, contact your local domestic violence program and find out what services are available to you. Get some counseling to help understand why you want to bring someone who beats you back under your roof, AND with a child in the picture. You can find programs and services in your area at http://www.aardvarc.org/dv/states/ildv.shtml