Guidance In A Domestic Violence Case

This might be long. Please bear with me.

Location: Tennessee

My older son proposed to his girlfriend on Christmas Day. I wasn’t able to see them for Christmas but I did go visit them for a week for my only grandson’s 2nd birthday (their son). Grandson’s birthday is a few days after Christmas. They live in her home state. Everything seemed okay. They seemed happy and had started making wedding plans.

Fast forward to a week or so ago: my son called me from jail. He’s been charged with domestic violence and false imprisonment (both misdemeanors). I’m not one of those parents who says, “My child would NEVER do anything like that.” I wasn’t there. I don’t know what happened. I just know this is totally out of character for him. He is in his early 30s; an honorably discharged Army vet; no history of violence; never been in trouble with the law (not even so much as a traffic ticket). He said everything in the police report is what SHE did to him, not the other way around. He’s being arraigned next month. We’ve been googling and researching what to expect. We have no clue about such things. No one in our family has ever been to jail before. We can’t afford an attorney. He‘ll have to use the public defender. How do these cases usually end up? Will he actually have to go to trial and/ or go to jail/prison? What happens when it’s a “he said, she said” situation? Who decides which party is telling the truth? IF he did this, he definitely should face the consequences of his actions; but if he didn’t, how likely is it that they will dismiss the charges?

I’m just lost and trying to figure out the best way to support my son. Thank you for reading.