Contrary to common beliefs, an assault charge and a battery charge are not the same. An assault qualifies as any intentional threat of causing harm to another person. For instance, threatening to beat someone qualifies as an assault.
A battery offense occurs when you physically harm someone or carry out an act of violence against them. For instance, if you punch, slap, or beat up someone, you will face a battery charge against you.
Assault and battery fall under criminal law. As a result, you could end up in prison if the court finds you guilty of the charges. You need to hire an assault and battery lawyer to act as your defense attorney.
Thus, here are three signs you should hire an assault or battery lawyer.
1. You Are Under Arrest for Assault or Battery
If you assaulted or battered someone, they would most likely report the incident to the police. As a result, the police will arrest and interrogate you as part of the investigation.
Sometimes, people provide incriminating information about themselves during an interrogation. As a result, they damage their case. Thus, you should not answer any questions during an interrogation without your lawyer.
As soon as the police arrest you, hire an assault and battery lawyer before answering any questions. Your lawyer can help you answer the interrogation questions without incriminating yourself. Hiring an assault and battery lawyer before an interrogation enables you to avoid damaging your case.
2. You Are Due in Court for Assault or Battery Charges
It is up to the police to collect enough evidence to support the battery or assault charges against you. If the evidence against you isn't enough to support the charge, the police will drop the charges.
But, if the police gather enough evidence to support the charges, you will have your day in court to face your charges. You need to hire an assault and battery attorney to act as your defense lawyer in such a situation.
The sooner you hire an assault and battery lawyer, the sooner they can start working on a defense plan.
3. You Are Considering a Plea Deal
Sometimes, a prosecutor may offer you a plea deal before your arraignment date. In most cases, the agreement involves you pleading guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence.
A prosecutor may offer you such a deal because they don't have a strong case against you. They might only be offering the plea deal because they don't want to lose in court. Thus, before accepting any plea deal, consult an assault and battery lawyer about your case.
Besides, you don't want to take a plea deal if you can beat the charges against you. Your lawyer will check the evidence against you and determine whether the plea deal is a good idea or not.
For more information, contact an assault and battery law firm such as Epstein & Robbins.
