Assault and Battery Charges

Assault involves the use of force or violence against another person. The state of California has multiple classifications of assault and battery:

  • Simple assault — An unlawful attempt paired with present ability to commit a violent injury on another person. Ir is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail. Please note that to be guilty of an assault you do not need to injure or even touch the person. Only a realistic attempt is necessary.
  • Simple battery — Any willful and unlawful use of force or violence visited upon another person. It may be either a misdemeanor or a felony and punishable by as much as six months in jail. Unlike simple assault, it requires physical contact with another person.
  • Assault with a deadly weapon — When a person stands accused of threatening or harming a victim. It must  “by any means of force likely to produce great bodily injury” with a weapon other than a gun. As a felony, it applies to a wide variety of conduct and is punishable by imprisonment.
  • Assault with a firearm — You can be charged if you shoot someone with a gun, fire a gun at someone, point a loaded gun at someone in a threatening manner or hit someone with the gun itself. It counts as a felony. Sentencing enhancements for use of a firearm in the crime results in jail terms ranging from 2 to 12 years, based on the type of weapon.

Consult with a Fresno Criminal Defense Attorney

The criminal defense attorneys at Hammerschmidt Law Corporation have decades of combined experience defending against assault and battery. We zealously defend the freedoms of our clients. Call our assault and battery defense attorneys today at 559.233.5333 to discuss your assault and battery charges.