Top North Andover, MA Criminal Battery Lawyers Near You
44 School St, Suite 1000C, Boston, MA 02108
450 Lexington Street, Suite 101, Auburndale, MA 02466
439 South Union Street, Suite 202, Lawrence, MA 01843
24 Federal St, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02110
179 Great Road, Suite 212, Acton, MA 01720
131 Dartmouth St, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02116
15 Fletcher St, Chelmsford, MA 01824
5 Lexington St, Suite 3, Charlestown, MA 02129
154 Maverick St, Ste 208, Boston, MA 02128
1990 Centre Street, PO Box 57173, Babson Park, MA 02457
1147 Hancock St., # 212, Quincy, MA 02169
1200 East Street, Westwood, MA 02090
2125 Washington St, Holliston, MA 01746
18 Main St Extension, Ste 201B, Plymouth, MA 02360
20 Park Plaza, Suite 400, Boston, MA 02116
65A Atlantic Avenue, Boston, MA 02110
12 Gill Street, Suite 1600, Woburn, MA 01801
49 Blanchard St, #417, Lawrence, MA 01843
44 School St, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02108
189 Cambridge St, Suite 2B, Cambridge, MA 02141
15 Cottage Ave, 4th Floor, Quincy, MA 02169
1000 Mt Laurel Cir, Shirley, MA 01464
450B Paradise Road, PMB 166, Swampscott, MA 01907
One School Street, Beverly, MA 01915
9 Middlesex St, Lowell, MA 01852
North Andover Criminal Battery Information
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What Is Criminal Battery?
The crime of battery refers to an incident in which the offender engages in unlawful (and unwanted) harmful or offensive physical contact with the victim. Whether or not the contact needs to be intentional depends on the laws where the offense occurred, as what constitutes battery varies by state and jurisdiction.
What Are Some Types of Criminal Battery?
Criminal battery, or simple battery, is just one form of battery under U.S. federal and state law.
Sexual battery takes place when non-consensual touching, groping or other unwanted and offensive sexual acts are visited upon the victim by the offender. At a nightclub, if a man gropes a woman who is dancing without her consent, he may face charges related to sexual battery if the victim deigns to pursue the matter in court.
Family-violence battery, or domestic violence battery, takes place when a family member — typically a spouse ‚— is violent toward the victim.
Aggravated battery is an escalation of simple battery, and is typically charged when an instance of battery involves a deadly weapon such as a knife or gun, or when the battery results in serious bodily harm as concerns the victim. When a battery takes place against a protected class of persons (as a result of a hate crime, targeting police officers or other public officials, or targets the elderly, the infirm, or a child), aggravated battery charges may also be the end result.
What Is the Difference Between Criminal Assault and Criminal Battery?
The primary difference between criminal assault and criminal battery is that the former does not require that the offender actually made physical contact with the victim, while the latter holds this element as requisite for charges.
To provide an example, a man who threatens (seriously, and with intent) another patron of a football game with violence, making intimidating gestures and who throws an empty bottle at the victim and misses, could be charged with the crime of assault. Had the empty bottle actually struck the victim, the offender could instead be charged with battery.
What Are the Possible Penalties for Criminal Battery?
The penalties for battery range depending on the individual context of the case. If there is a beating or strike involved, or a wound created (bruise, gash, etc.) the maximum sentence is one year from the federal court. If a dangerous weapon is used, the maximum penalty jumps up to 10 years incarceration. Further, if there is an actual intent to commit murder, the maximum penalty is enhanced to 20 years in jail.
State laws vary in their treatment of criminal battery, generally distinguishing between simple battery and aggravated battery. Simple battery typically results in a first degree misdemeanor charge with a maximum sentence of one year in jail as well as a one year probation period. However, in some states, aggravated battery is classified as a second degree felony with a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment. This maximum penalty can be accompanied by mandatory minimum sentencing enhancements if a firearm is present during the commission of an offense, and even further enhancements apply if said firearm is discharged or is used to harm another.
How Much Jail Time for Criminal Battery in Massachusetts?
Simple battery typically results in a sentence of up to one year in jail for those found guilty, with most punishments being lessened for first-time offenders. Repeat offenders may see stiffer penalties in response to their convictions. By contrast, aggravated battery is typically categorized as a felony deserving of a sentence ranging from three to six years, or 10 or more years for repeat offenders — or for aggravated battery with one or more sentencing enhancements (as mentioned above) attached.
When faced with criminal battery charges, the best thing to do is contact a criminal battery lawyer as soon as possible. A criminal battery charge can be either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the state and also what happened. You won’t want to face these charges alone.