What is the difference between aggravated assault and assault?

The first thing you need to know is that any allegations centered on felonies and violent crimes require a serious response on your behalf. If convicted on crimes such as battery, aggravated assault, or more seriously, murder, you will face catastrophic consequences. This will affect you, but it will also affect your family.

With that said, assault and aggravated assault are similar offenses in the state of Texas, but they do have several important differences. Before going forward, you should understand that an attorney can help you protect yourself against such allegations.

Defining assault:

  • Harming another person intentionally or knowingly
  • Threatening to harm someone intentionally
  • Intentionally coming into physical contact with someone when there is a reason to believe he or she will regard the contact as an offense

Defining aggravated assault:

The points listed above also apply in aggravated assault cases. However, what makes the assault aggravated is: using a weapon during the crime and if the assault results in serious injury to the other person.

In some cases, assault arrests result in only misdemeanor charges, but other times, felony charges occur. Examples leading to such charges include the existence of prior assault convictions, harm against a family member and assault against public service officials.

The intent to harm is a critical point in cases involving felonies and violent crimes in general. If evidence exists that you intended to harm another person, then you can expect an aggressive attempt at conviction. While it may feel hopeless, it is possible to either avoid a conviction altogether or have your charges reduced. The odds of winning your case can improve substantially with legal assistance.

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