Category: Assault & Battery

 

It is a universally held principle that people have the right to defend themselves from physical harm, even when that defensive action would normally constitute a crime such as assault.

 

However, it begs an important question: where is the line between assault and self-defense?

 

Generally speaking, in order for a violent act to be considered self-defense, it needs to meet certain criteria. For example, the person must

 

St. Patrick’s Day is known as a time to “let your Irish out” and get a bit rowdy. Typically, this partying is all in good fun, but can end in a brush with the law if festivities go too far.

 

As past St. Paddy’s Day brawls in New York and Cleveland demonstrate, it’s easy for things to get out of hand quickly when intoxicated people come together in

 

Most people are familiar with the term “assault and battery,” but in Colorado you never hear about anyone actually being charged with battery. This is because “battery” in Colorado is legally defined as “menacing” – and it’s something that’s charged quite often.

 

Case-in-point: On Feb. 15, three men were arrested in Oregon on various charges after a shooting. A 62-year old man told police that the men had

 

 

If you have been charged with assault in Colorado, you need to understand what happens next. In this post, we’ll detail the assault laws and penalties as well as the potential defenses you can use to fight your charges.

 

Laws and Penalties

Assault in the third degree

 

Definition

 

Recklessly or knowingly causing bodily injury to someone

 

Using criminal negligence with a deadly weapon to

 

There are many motives behind assault and other violent crimes: uncontrollable emotions, a verbal altercation, intoxication, and so on. Some motives can be at least partially justified in court (i.e. a “crime of passion”), but when race or other types of biases are a factor, the case can go in the opposite way: penalties and charges may increase.

 

In other words, by arguing that you hurt someone due