If you've been arrested for assault, then you'll need a competent, efficient, highly skilled and effective Knoxville assault lawyer. Contact Attorney Matt Ooten, at Ooten Law, by calling at 865-259-0999 or email at info@ootenlawfirm.com for help today.
Assault
What is an Assault?
An act can be considered an assault even if there is no actual physical contact. To be considered an assault, there must be a gesture or some other action that leads to harm or the threat of harm. It's important to know that an assault can either be a misdemeanor or a felony in the state of Tennessee.
What is Domestic Assault
Domestic assault in Tennessee is an assault against a victim who is a family or household member including:
- A current or former spouse of the offender
- Person with whom the offender resides or previously resided
- Person who the offender is dating or previously dated or someone with whom the offender has or previously had a sexual relationship
- Someone with whom the offender is related by blood or adoption
- A person with whom the offender is or was related by marriage, and
- An adult or minor child of the offender or a family or household member.
Simple Assault
According to Tenn. Code Ann. §39-13-101 in the State of Tennessee, the crime of simple assault is defined as if the alleged offender:
- Intentionally caused bodily injury to another person
- Knowingly caused bodily injury to another person
- Recklessly caused bodily injury to another person
The offender with bodily harm causing one of the following:
- The alleged victim has a reasonable fear of imminent bodily injury
- There has been physical contact with another that a reasonable person would find extremely provocative or offensive. (Tenn. Code Ann. §39-13-101.)
Simple assault is a misdemeanor primarily because it involves only minor bodily injury like a cut, scrape, or bruise. Injury such as a broken bone, disfigurement, loss of a limb, or requiring surgery or hospitalization is a “serious bodily physical injury.” If the offender causes this kind of injury, the crime is a more serious assault.
Aggravated Assault
An aggravated assault is simply a more serious version of an assault charge, and in some instances, an aggravated assault may even result in a felony charge. An aggravated assault consists of physical actions that cause serious bodily harm, an assault made with a deadly weapon (e.g., gun, knife, etc), or assault involving another aggravating factor.
Essentially, anyone who commits a simple assault while using or displaying a deadly weapon has committed an aggravated assault.
What are the Consequences of an Assault Charge?
An Assault charge is a very serious crimes with severe consequences. Some of the penalties for receiving a guilty conviction for assault include:
To prevent a possible unfavorable outcome with your Knoxville assault charge, it’s best to seek out a highly capable, competent and skilled assault lawyer who will represent your best interests and fight the case in court, if necessary. You need someone who will take a discerning view at all of the evidence and empathetically listen to your side of the story. Give top Knoxville, Tennessee Assault Lawyer, Matt Ooten, at Ooten Law Firm a call at 865-259-0999 today.