Threats and Violent Assault
Experienced Baton Rouge Assault and Assault Attorneys Are Ready to Serve You
Often, battery and assault are used interchangeably to refer to the same event. Each state has different definitions for the two, leading to much confusion, as the media and pop culture often use the two terms to refer to the same crime. However, assault and battery are serious and quite distinct crimes in Louisiana. Contact Big River Trial Attorneys to speak with a Baton Rouge assault and battery lawyer if you or a loved one are seeking legal defense.
ASSAULT
Assault is defined under Louisiana law as “an attempt to commit a battery, or the intentional placing of another person in reasonable fear of battery.”
Simple assault is a misdemeanor offense with a punishment of up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $200. However, there are several different types of assault in Louisiana.
Aggravated assault is an assault committed with a dangerous weapon. The penalties for aggravated assault are up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. However, if the weapon was a firearm, the penalties are up to ten years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.
AGGRESSION
Battery is quite different from assault in Louisiana because it involves actual contact. Assault generally involves only the attempt to commit a battery or the threat of an assault. Under Louisiana law, battery is the “intentional use of force or violence upon the person of another; or the intentional administration of a poison or other noxious liquid or substance to another person.” Simple battery carries penalties of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
Aggravated assault is an assault committed with a dangerous weapon. It carries penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. Second-degree assault requires the intentional infliction of serious bodily injury and carries a prison sentence of up to eight years along with a fine of up to $2,000.
There are different penalties for both assault and battery depending on the victim’s status. For example, if the victim was a school teacher, a police officer, or a couple, the possible punishments are increased.
DEFENSE OF ASSAULT AND BATTERY CHARGES
The key to most assault and battery charges lies in the intent to commit the alleged crime. Assault can often be alleged for the simple accidental touching of another person. This happens almost daily in crowded stores, streets, and elevators. It only takes one offended person to contact the authorities. Assault works the same way, and a person can simply take a simulated “threat” seriously and contact the authorities. It is important to contact an experienced Baton Rouge criminal defense attorney immediately after charges are filed to protect your criminal record.
LOUISIANA CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAW FIRM
Attitudes toward assault and battery have changed dramatically. There was a time when getting into a bar fight wasn’t likely to result in any charge more serious than disturbing the peace, as long as no one was seriously injured. Now, however, simply slapping someone, or even touching them in a painless but insolent manner, can get you jailed. When self-defense is claimed, the interpretation of legal terms like “reasonable” can mean the difference between imprisonment and acquittal.
WE ARE HERE TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS
At Big River Trial Attorneys, there’s very little that can happen in a criminal case that we haven’t seen before. Years of practical experience have taught us the nuances of the Louisiana criminal justice system. Our attorneys have appeared in Louisiana courts at both the state and federal levels. We’ve handled thousands of cases and have a track record of successful results.
EACH CASE IS DIFFERENT
As a criminal defense law firm, we cannot offer absolute guarantees, just as a doctor cannot absolutely guarantee a cure. However, our Baton Rouge assault and battery attorneys can assure you of aggressive and intelligent representation that leverages our years of experience. We will take your case as seriously as if we were prosecuting in your place.
No matter how hopeless things may seem at the moment, you never know when a break in the case will occur: evidence against you may have been illegally seized, for example, or a key witness may be discredited or refuse to cooperate. Now is the time to take action and enlist an aggressive and experienced criminal defense attorney.
CONTACT OUR BATON ROUGE ASSAULT AND BATTERY LAW FIRM FOR YOUR FREE INITIAL CASE EVALUATION
If you are being investigated for assault or battery, or if you have already been charged with one of these crimes, call us at (225) 407-0777 or complete our online contact form to schedule a meeting with a highly experienced Baton Rouge assault and battery attorney.