Preserve the original evidence that accurately documents your injuries and when they were observed. An omitted injury may matter to the incident timeline or the investigation into who was the dominant aggressor, but it does not by itself disprove an allegation, invalidate an arrest, or establish self-defense. California law calls for considering more than who had visible injuries. (Pen. Code, §§ 13700, 13701.)
Preserve original photos and records
If you already have photographs, keep the original files in their original form. Note when and where each image was taken and who took it. Avoid filters, cropping, annotation, or overwriting the original; if you need to make a marked copy for personal organization, retain the original separately. The California Judicial Council has discussed how conversion can remove native file information and raise questions about alteration. That report concerns electronic evidence in court systems; it does not prescribe a required procedure for personal injury photos. Judicial Council electronic-evidence report.
Keep medical records, discharge instructions, appointment information, and bills that relate to the injury. If you sought care later, record the date and what prompted the visit. Medical documentation can show that you reported an injury to a provider; it does not, by itself, establish how the injury happened or resolve the accusation.
If relevant clothing or an object was damaged, avoid further handling where practical and ask counsel how it should be preserved. Do not alter, discard, or circulate it unnecessarily.
Make a factual timeline and identify witnesses
Write a private, factual timeline while memories are fresh. Include approximate times, locations, people present, what you remember seeing or hearing, when an injury appeared, and when you first documented or treated it. Mark what you know directly and what you only learned later. Avoid filling gaps with guesses or coordinating recollections with anyone else.
List people who may have observed the events or your condition soon afterward. Preserve their names and the lawful contact details you already have; counsel can determine any appropriate follow-up. Do not contact a protected person or violate a protective order, even to ask about evidence or request a correction.
Ask counsel to identify official records
Your lawyer can evaluate whether to seek relevant 911 calls, dispatch records, body-camera or dash-camera footage, photographs taken at the scene, and medical or other records. These sources can help show what was reported, what officers observed, and what was documented at the time. Availability and retention vary, so counsel can assess what exists and how to request it. Do not try to access restricted government or another person’s accounts or devices.
Penal Code section 13701 addresses law-enforcement policies for identifying a dominant aggressor. The inquiry includes circumstances such as threats, prior history, and whether either person acted in self-defense; injury count alone does not determine it. Penal Code section 13700 also defines abuse to include certain attempts or reasonable apprehension of imminent serious bodily injury, so the absence or presence of a visible injury cannot answer every possible allegation.
A report’s omission is a point to investigate, not proof that the report must be amended or that the case ends. A careful record of original files, dates, treatment, witnesses, and the incident timeline gives counsel a basis to compare your account with the official record. The Law Offices of David S. Chesley handles domestic violence defense in Los Angeles; for a case-specific discussion, call (800) 755-5174.