Creflo Dollar is a televangelist and megachurch pastor who preaches that prosperity is good, but his home life isn’t as prosperous as he would wish at this time. The pastor was recently arrested for harming his 15-year-old daughter in their home in Atlanta, Georgia. According to Time Magazine, the Fayette County police responded to a call of domestic violence in the home around 1:00 a.m. The pastor and his daughter had been arguing about whether or not she should be allowed to go to a party. In the argument, Dollar physically lashed out at his child, inflicting superficial injuries.
The 15-year-old called the authorities and her 19-year-old sister explained that situation to the police when they arrived. Dollar now faces misdemeanor charges of simple battery and cruelty to children. Though he was bailed out of jail, he still is awaiting his court date. In a statement released by his lawyer, Dollar says that he loves his children and would never cause bodily harm to them. He says that he wants the entire case handled privately so that the family’s privacy can be preserved. Even though he is involved in a criminal manner, Dollar expects to keep preaching his prosperity gospel to his congregation and the televisions every Sunday.
Dollar is the pastor of World Changers Church in Atlanta, and has about 30,000 regular members. The church also has satellite churches in Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Washington, Cleveland, Dallas, and Houston. He lives in Atlanta with his wife, Taffi, and their five children. Taffi is a co-pastor at the church. The pastor has become incredibly profitable in his ministry, even though he doesn’t receive a salary from the church. Instead, he says that he gets his large income from speaking all across the country on spiritual, financial, and personal matters. Dollar has had run-ins with the law before, such as in 1999 when he gave one-hundred police officers $1,000 apiece.
The pastor claimed that he only wanted to recognize the law enforcements achievements, but the truth is that he had received multiple traffic tickets at the time which were downgraded to warnings. The county’s ethics board scolded the officers for accepting the money and explained that it seemed like a bribe. In his domestic violence case, Dollar will not be taken lightly. In some cases, domestic violence can lead to a declaration of an unfit parent. In this case, Dollar would lose his children to social services, where they would be placed in foster homes or with other relatives until they turned 18. Also, domestic violence can come with time in prison, fines, or community service requirements.
In Georgia, courts consider the prior family violence involving the accused party, the potential for future injury, the severity of the injuries on each person and whether or not the party acted in self-defense. With these factors stated, as well as the extent of the abuse, the ages of both parties, the relationship of the parties, and the sex of the parties, the court can make a well-informed decision concerning the punishment that the defendant deserves. The sentence will be greater if there is substance abuse, weapons, or a violation of pre-existing court orders involved.
In Georgia, courts also look into the type of police action that was taken and the disposition of the case. The jury will want to determine which party was the physical aggressor and why the arrest was made in the first place. In Pastor Dollar’s case, he will probably be forced to pay a fine for his crime. Because he did not inflict a sustainable injury, he will probably not be sent to jail. However, each domestic violence case is different, and if you have been charged with harming your child you will want a family attorney to represent you and fight for your rights as a parent in court.