Battery Charges in Florida

A friend of mine had a heated argument with her boyfriend. As a result there was struggle during the struggle my friend attempted to get her boyfriend off of her as a result he got scratched and bitten in the process. As the argument become more escalated she attempted to call the police to attempt to have him escorted from the property to avoid further altercation. The police arrived and arrested her because he had signs of injury. He advised he did not want her to go to jail nor did he have intention of pursuing charges but they ended up taking her to jail. She was release without bail, she has NO criminal record at all this was an extremely unfortunate incident. She is devastated that she had to be the one to spend the night in jail when he was the reason this became escalated. She is a victim being treated as a prepretrator. She is debating getting an attorney but does not have money really to afford one what can she do? Can they really prosecute her for defending herself?

They can prosecute her for domestic violence against her boyfriend, which is what they are doing. If you look at the charge, you will see it is not for "defending herself". If she wishes to assert self-defense as a justification for her acts, her criminal defense lawyer can assist her. If she can't afford a lawyer, she should inquire with the court about getting a court-appointed lawyer.