Assault and Battery
Assault and battery charges consist of threats to do violence and actual violence committed upon a person. Assault and battery charges are serious and Wisconsin can include a number of punishments, including prison.
We know and understand the seriousness of assault and battery, and have defended many clients facing these charges.
Is There a Case for Self-Defense?
In many cases where a fight has taken place, it may be that the person charged with assault or battery was the victim, rather than the aggressor. The police, however, may have limited information to go on when they get to a crime scene. There may not be any witnesses, or the witnesses may give conflicting accounts (particularly if the witnesses are friends of one of the participants). Instead, they may arrest the person who was least-injured on the assumption that the person with the more severe injuries is the victim.
Often, this is wrong.
In Wisconsin, as in other states, a person has the right to defend himself or herself. Normally, a person is entitled to use a certain amount of violence that is appropriate given the circumstances. In the course of self-defense, it may be that the non-aggressor ends up inflicting more injuries than they have suffered. Nonetheless, this does not change the fact that the injuries were inflicted in the course of self-defense, which (if found to be the case) is a valid legal defense to assault and battery.
If you have been charged with assault and battery, please call us.
We offer a free consultation so that we can learn about your case, and so that you can learn about how we represent clients. If we are retained, we will fight vigorously on your behalf.