Disagreements over inane topics may escalate into shouting matches and fisticuffs. A punch thrown to the face and a person sprawled on the floor may not have been the intended outcome. However, it happened. Now, you face criminal assault charges.
This incident may lead to incarceration, fines, restitution, tarnished personal and professional reputations and a potential civil lawsuit from the victim further down the road. Now, you need to determine potential legal strategies that may help get these charges dismissed or reduced.
Actions Were Justifiable
Here are some legal defense strategies that may help you overcome a criminal assault charge when going before a judge or jury:
- Self-defense: The other person was the instigator and had every intention of harming you. By defending yourself, you prevented that from happening.
- Defending another person: Whether it was a friend or stranger, this person needed your help. Your involvement likely saved the other person from harm but led to criminal charges thrown your way.
- Justifiable actions: With similarities to self-defense, this strategy surfaces in situations in which you feared for your life. By failing to act, you potentially would have become the victim.
- Duress: The threat of physical violence from another led you to protect yourself. You had to think fast on your feet, otherwise, you would have become the victim of a violent attack.
- Unintended consequences: The aftermath of the incident was not what you had expected to occur. You had no intentions of causing harm to anyone.
These crucial defenses just may help you put assault charges in your rearview mirror.
Overcoming These Charges
Overcoming an assault charge is possible. Once law enforcement concludes its investigation filled with witness statements and evidence, the results should support your claims stemming from this unfortunate incident.