Solano County Assault & Battery Attorneys

Defense Lawyers in Vallejo, CA

Assault and battery accusations are nothing to take lightly. If someone claims that you physically attacked them, you need to see it as an attack on yourrights and you need to build a defense as soon as possible.

At Maas and Russo, we proudly stand up for those who have been accused of violent crimes like assault and battery. We understand that everyone has a story to tell and accusers can exaggerate details, either intentionally or inadvertently. Give yourself a chance to tell the truth and protect yourself from severe criminal penalties by letting us act on your behalf.

Call our assault and battery lawyers in Solano County at (800) 483-0992 to begin your defense case.

Are Assault & Battery Different?

Technically, an assault and battery charge is the combination of two different criminal acts:

• Assault: An intentional act attempting to hurt, threaten, or intimidate someone.
• Battery: The actual act of physically contacting and harming someone with the intention of doing so.

In other words, if you intentionally try to hurt someone, you have committed assault. If you are successful in hurting them, you have committed battery by California’s legal standards. The charges are often combined and tried together as “assault and battery” because both actions are often fulfilled together, one after another. It is considerably rare for someone to be charged with only assault or only battery.

Penalties for Assault & Battery Convictions

Assault and battery charges are categorized into different tiers of severity depending on the details of the alleged crime. For example, taking a swing at someone and missing is simple assault, which is filed as a low misdemeanor. However, threatening someone with a baseball bat and then hitting them with it can be charged as felony assault and battery. To this end, the penalties you face when charged with assault and/or battery will vary greatly depending on the unique circumstances of your case.

In general, you can expect the following penalties if convicted:

• At least one year in jail for misdemeanors
• One year or several years in prison for felonies
• Fines ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 paid to the state
• Restitutions paid to the alleged victim
• Probation ranging from six months to three years

Keep in mind that you may technically be charged with assault and battery separately, meaning you’ll have to defend against more than one charge. If convicted of all charges, the penalties can be concurrent and cumulative, greatly increasing their severity.

Defenses for Assault & Battery Charges in California

Our job as your assault and battery defense law firm is to examine all details of your charges to determine the best possible defense strategy. Every case is different, and we treat it as such. You never have to worry about being given a “cookie-cutter” defense when you come to Maas and Russo.

Defenses that may work for your assault and battery case:

• Unintentional: In some cases, recklessness may lead to another party’s injuries. If you did not have any criminal intent to hurt someone, you should not be facing criminal charges.
• Unreasonable fear: For assault charges involving the apparent threat of bodily harm in particular, the threats must be credible enough to invoke fear in a reasonable person. If your words or behaviors were not meant to be taken seriously, or if you had no possible means of following through with them, your charges may be invalid. For example, if you angrily shouted to someone that you were going to “hit them with a train,” it should be clear that you could not fulfill that apparent threat.
• Self-defense: A tried-and-true defense for many assault and battery cases is self-defense. Everyone has the right to act in a way that prevents them from suffering undue harm from others. Did you injure someone in the act of protecting yourself from their aggressions? If so, you should not be the one facing charges.

Work with a Highly Experienced Defense Team

At Maas and Russo, our legal team has firsthand experience with high-stakes assault and battery cases. One of our most remarkable success stories was achieving a hung jury – meaning no conviction – for a client charged with felony assault on a public official. Put that caliber of criminal defense representation in your corner today by calling (800) 483-0992 or contacting our firm online.

Free initial consultations are available to inquiring clients.