There are few things worse than being convicted of a crime. One of the most common criminal charges we see here in New Jersey is assault. Essentially, a person may be charged with assault if they either recklessly or intentionally cause bodily harm to another person, or if they threaten to cause bodily harm to another person. When facing these charges, it’s imperative that you don’t proceed without a dedicated Bergen County criminal defense lawyer in your corner. Our legal team is here to help. Here are some of the questions you may have about assault charges in New Jersey and how we can assist you in fighting those charges:
What are the consequences of a simple assault charge in New Jersey?
Someone commits an act of simple assault if the court can prove that the person attempted to cause, or intentionally/recklessly caused bodily injury to another person, negligently caused bodily injury to another individual with a deadly weapon, or threatened an individual with the possibility of imminent “serious bodily injury.” If you are convicted of simple assault in New Jersey, you will face a disorderly persons offense (a misdemeanor), which can entail a potential $1,000 fine and up to six months of incarceration.
What are the penalties for an aggravated assault charge in New Jersey?
Aggravated assault is when a person allegedly either recklessly causes bodily injury to another person with a deadly weapon (or threatens/attempts to), or when someone attempts to cause serious bodily injury to another person. Depending on the degree of your aggravated assault charge, you may face anywhere between 18 months to 10 years of incarceration.
Are there any potential defenses I can use?
Fortunately, if you’re accused of assault, with the right criminal defense attorney in your corner, there may be a wide range of defenses available. To start, the best defense against an assault charge of any kind is proving self-defense. If we can prove that you only injured or threatened another person because they started the conflict and you were merely protecting yourself from an assailant or potential assailant, you should have a valid defense. Other potential defenses to assault charges are as follows:
- You were defending someone else against an assailant
- You were defending your property from damage/destruction
- Lack of witness testimony
- The statute of limitations has passed
If you have any further questions or are ready to get started, please don’t hesitate to speak with us today. We are here to help in any way we can.
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