Assault is a violent crime against another human being, and it is typically seen as having been committed if a person:
1. Tries to or does physically strike another or;
2. Acts in a manner to put another in fear of immediate harm
This is a very broad definition of assault and the lawyers who charge people with this crime look at a lot of factors before leveling someone with this charge. There are circumstances in life where a human being strikes another but does so in self-defense, and this would not be assault. However, there are times when someone is charged with assault but is completely innocent and DID act in self-defense even if the prosecution doesn’t see it this way. That’s when it’s important to hire an attorney and make sure that justice is done in the case. Not everyone who is charged with assault is actually guilty of it.
The majority of states consider assault to be an attempt to injure someone. Even if injury doesn’t occur, that doesn’t mean that an ATTEMPT wasn’t made. So it’s very important to look at any assault charge as a serious matter, whether the other person was injured or not.
Imprisonment is the most common penalty for assault, but the length of imprisonment will depend on the degree of assault that was charged in your particular case. Some degrees of assault are misdemeanors while others are felonies. A felony will carry with it the most severe of penalties: Both imprisonment AND a lifetime felony on your record that will be very hard to get removed no matter how much time passes since the assault.
Felonies can keep you from getting many types of employment. They can make it hard to find a residence to live in. They will also make it difficult to qualify for certain types of government programs that you might need later in life. The consequences of a felony assault are disastrous but a misdemeanor assault charge will be on your record for a long time as well, and no one should have this on their record if they’re not guilty of the crime they’re accused of.
We have many defenses available to us that we can use in an assault case. We can claim that your assault was actually self-defense. We can also see if you might have committed an assault because you were trying to defend someone else other than yourself. You may have an alibi for the time of the assault as well, proving that you weren’t the one who committed it. In other cases, we simply lay out a case that puts the burden of proof on the prosecution. If the prosecution fails to prove their case, as they often do, then you can get a not guilty verdict as well. Defenses for assault are well-known and powerful.
In other cases, you may decide that you want a plea bargain and in that case we can work with you to decide what the outcome for you is. For example, you might receive probation and stay out of prison, or you might agree to do a very short amount of time in jail and then be able to be released on parole, under our guidance to help you successfully complete your program. We’ve been defending assault cases for years now and know how to put the pressure on the prosecution. In all matters, it’s up to THEM to prove their case. We do everything possible to ensure that you have a powerful defense.
Assault is a serious crime and it can send you to prison for years. And that’s in addition to the many court fines you’re going to rack up over the course of the defense. No one should face a serious charge like assault on their own. If you’ve been charged with this crime, no matter what the degree of your charge, you need our lawyers on your side. We’ve got decades of combined experience defending people just like you against unfair charges. We’ll aggressively pursue your case and mount a powerful defense in your behalf. Call us today.
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