Arrested for Assault in Pennsylvania?
Fight Your Assault Charge With an Aggressive Criminal Defense Lawyer!
Any Assault charge can have very serious consequences, including
jail time. Pennsylvania assault laws are complicated and a
mistake in how you defend yourself may land you in jail and be facing
other serious penalties and punishment. Talk to one of our experienced
assault defense lawyers who will use every legal defense to make
sure your rights are protected to the fullest extent.
Many people are charged with assault after getting in a fight,
and it just happens that the other person files charges, regardless
of who may have started the fight! Any kind of punch or brawl, or
even just threatening someone with physical harm can get you
charged. If someone files assault charges
against you, and you end up getting arrested, you'll need an
attorney to help explain what happened, and why the charges
should be dropped.
Can I Challenge my PA Assault Charge and Win?
Assault Defense Strategies
Yes, there are many possible defenses. There are a number of ways to beat these cases, depending on
what happened in your case. In cases where there was ultimately no
serious injury, we can argue intent. Did you really intent to harm
the other person? And was the other person's fear legitimate and
true?
I may also challenge the prosecutor to prove
it was really you who committed the alleged assault, depending on
who actually witnessed the incident. It could be a mistaken
identity. I can also argue that you acted in self defense, or
were otherwise justified in taking action under the circumstances.
I'll also work to
get the charges reduced, to take the most serious consequences off
the table whenever possible. If it is charged as an Aggravated
assault, I will work to knock it down to a simple assault, or if
it's charged as a Misdemeanor 1 or Misdemeanor 2, I may argue that
the facts of the case cannot justify a charge above a Misdemeanor 3.
A lesser charge will seriously reduce the risk of serious
Pennsylvania assault penalties.
But you need an experienced Pennsylvania defense attorney to
analyze your case and break down your best chance to fight and win
the case in court. Call for a free consultation and case evaluation
now at (888) 412-3298
.
Pennsylvania Assault Penalties & Laws
Under Pennsylvania assault laws, a person is guilty of assault if a
person intentionally or knowingly causes bodily harm to another, or
attempts to do so putting another in fear of injury.
This can be very broadly interpreted to include brandishing an
object as a weapon, or coming close to hitting someone with a car.
Simple Assault Penalties
Simple Assault is usually a Misdemeanor 2 charge, unless it is an
assault by an adult on a child under 12, in which case it is a more
serious Misdemeanor 1. If it is a fight where both parties enter by
mutual consent, it is a Misdemeanor 3 charge.
| Charge |
Class |
Penalty |
| Simple Assault |
Misdemeanor 2 |
Up to 2 years in prison |
| Simple Assault (Mutual Consent) |
Misdemeanor 3 |
Up to 1 year in prison |
| Simple Assault on a child under 12 |
Misdemeanor 1 |
Up to 5 years in prison |
Aggravated Assault Penalties (Felony Assault in PA)
Aggravated Assault may be a Felony 1 or Felony 2, with penalties of
up to 20 or 10 years in prison, respectively.
An aggravated assault is a Felony 1 if serious bodily injury is
caused with "extreme indifference to human life", or if
serious bodily injury is caused to a police officer, firefighter, or
other law enforcement or government official.
Assault with a deadly weapon causing body injury is a Felony 2
(F2). A dangerous/deadly weapon may be a knife, bat, a car,
truck or other automobile or vehicle, or
almost any blunt object used with force against another person.
| Charge |
Class |
Penalty |
| Aggravated Assault |
Felony 2 |
Up to 10 years in prison |
| Aggravated Assault w/extreme
indifference to human life |
Felony 1 |
Up to 20 years in prison |
| Assault w/a Deadly Weapon
Causing Bodily Injury |
Felony 2 |
Up to 10 years in prison |
If you'd like some specific legal advice on how I
would defend you in your assault case, call me for a free, no obligation criminal
defense legal consultation. All calls are strictly confidential,
and you risk nothing by talking to me. Call me on any assault or aggravated assault charge
in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania.
- The criminal defense attorneys of Pennsylvania-Criminal-Defense.com
We represent clients in criminal cases
across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
We represent clients in criminal cases
across Eastern Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia, Harrisburg,
Lebanon, Carlisle and Lancaster, and Bucks,
Montgomery, Northampton, and Lehigh Counties, as well as all of
Western PA, the
Pittsburgh, Pa metro area, South Hills, and Century III areas, including
Greensburg, Mt Lebanon, Kittanning, Cranberry, Allegheny County,
Westmoreland County, Washington County, Armstrong County, Bedford
County, Blair County, Butler County, Centre County, Clearfield
County, Crawford County, Erie County, Fayette County, Greene County,
Indiana County, Huntington County, Lawrence County, Jefferson
County, Mercer County, Somerset County, Venango County as well as
all other areas of Pennsylvania and beyond. Call today, no
obligation!
(800) 929-3610.
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