Every day, we hear outlandish statements, curses, and threats from actors, athletes, and politicians. Yet, none of them is charged with assault and battery. As an expanding area of the law, verbal assault and terroristic threats are gathering momentum and gradually being defined by court precedents.
Assault is the act of threatening someone in order to cause harm. The accused might still be found guilty of assault, even if the defendant did not have the actual ability to carry out the attack.
Battery is the willful physical attack of someone in order to cause injury. The severity and resulting damage of the battery determine the harshness of the law's penalty. The type of weapon used— fist, foot, knife, or gun—is also considered when determining the seriousness of the assault and battery charge.
Qualified attorneys know how to defend against assault and battery charges, invoking proper privilege defenses, such as consent, self-defense, defense of others, or provocation.