What Is The Most Common Punishment for Assault?

If you or your loved one is facing an assault charge in Fort Bend, Texas, it is essential to contact an experienced and capable Fort Bend assault lawyer immediately to effectively protect yourself or your loved one. 

It is important to note that an assault charge and assault arrest are not the same thing. However, a charge can follow an arrest and comes with serious punishment. Thus, a charge is more serious than an arrest, as it entitles you to due process, and you are considered innocent until proven guilty as established by the American constitution. 

Let’s delve deeper into the types of assault charges and their associated punishments for better clarity!

Understanding assault charges and their punishments

As per Chapter 22 of the Texas Penal Code, assaultive offenses are categorized as assault, where a person knowingly, recklessly, or intentionally causes serious injury to another person. In Texas, you can be charged with assault if you make a violent threat towards another person. If that person has valid reasons to believe that you can commit the violence, you can be charged. Similarly, if you attempt to physically harm a person with or without a deadly weapon, you can be charged with an assault even if you miss, as your action conveys the threat of violence. To gain a better knowledge of these types of assault charges, it is advisable to seek the assistance of a qualified Fort Bend assault attorney. 

In most cases, people face felony assault and misdemeanor assault charges, which come with different types of punishment. Felony assault is defined as an assault where a deadly weapon or excessive force is used to commit the crime, resulting in serious bodily harm. For a first degree felony assault, the punishment is 5 to 99 years in prison and/or up to $10,000 as fine. While for a second degree felony assault, the punishment is 2 to 20 years in person and/or up to $10,000 as fine. For a three degree felony, the punishment is 2 to 10 years in prison and/or up to $10,000 as fine.

If you are charged with an act of domestic violence or the assault you are charged with was not aggravated, the type of assault that you will be charged with is known as simple assault or misdemeanor assault. For a Class A misdemeanor, the punishment is up to 1 year in prison and/or up to $4,000 as fine. For a Class B misdemeanor, the punishment is up to 180 days in prison and/or up to $2,000 as fine. For a Class C misdemeanor, the punishment is up to $500 as fine.

No matter what type of assault charge you end up with, the punishment is damaging, expensive, and life-altering. Thus, it is essential to find the best Fort Bend criminal defense attorney to assist you in this difficult situation. They have the skills, knowledge, training, and dedication to help you navigate through this and find the most favorable solution. 

Finding the right Fort Bend assault lawyer

Now that you know the severity of the associated punishments for the different types of assault charges, you can understand how important it is to find the right Fort Bend criminal defense attorney to guide and assist you in this difficult situation. Thus, it is highly recommended that you conduct the necessary search and research process to find the most suitable lawyer to help you build the best defense and secure the most favorable solution.