Assault is a crime that involves causing another person to fear physical harm. This is why assault charges are so serious. It is important to have a criminal lawyer at your side when facing this type of charge. At Wiberg Law Offices of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, we are well-versed in the various types of assault charges and will do everything we can to help you build a strong defense against them.
Traditionally, the legal term “assault” encompasses both the threat and the actual wrong act that causes harm to another person. It also often includes the separate offence of battery. Many modern statutes, however, use the terms differently. For example, some states have combined assault and battery into a single charge of assault and battery. Other states have defined assault as simply the threat to cause bodily harm, while others define it more broadly to include the actual touching of a victim.
Some crimes are more severe than others, and these are known as aggravated assaults. These are typically crimes where the accused attacker has either a dangerous weapon or has committed the assault against an elderly, disabled, or otherwise vulnerable victim. For instance, a nurse who hits an elderly patient in a nursing home may be charged with aggravated assault in certain jurisdictions that have enacted special laws to protect senior citizens from violence by their caregivers.
In addition to the possible fines and prison sentences, a conviction for an assault can lead to restitution payments from the defendant to the victim to cover medical or counseling expenses. These are known as restitution orders and can be imposed even when the accused is in prison.
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