Murfreesboro Aggravated Assault Lawyers Aggressively Defend Your Rights, Your Freedom and Your Future
Tough, hard-hitting legal representation capable of defending against serious felony charges
A verbal altercation and a push or shove is all it takes for you to be in handcuffs, facing life-altering felony charges of aggravated assault. If that happens, you want a defense team that has the experience, knowledge and skills to take on the challenge of defending you against charges that could send you to prison for up to 15 years. At Taylor Law Group, our well-earned reputation as tough-minded, staunch advocates has come about through four decades of successfully safeguarding our clients against the most serious criminal charges.
Factors contributing to charges of aggravated assault
An assault charge typically arises from a fight or an argument that escalates until someone is physically injured. Most assault charges are misdemeanors punishable by fines and up to a year in jail, but a simple assault can become the more serious criminal offense of aggravated assault when any of the following factors are present:
- Serious Bodily Injury: A serious bodily injury is significant harm more than a bruise or a scrape. Serious bodily injuries might include those which endanger a victim's life, cause disfigurement and scarring, or cause broken bones.
- Use of a Deadly Weapon: The presence of a deadly weapon, such as a knife, bat or gun, can result in an assault charge being filed as the more serious offense of aggravated assault even if the weapon was not used to strike or injury the victim.
- Identity of the Victim: An assault committed against a child by his or her parent can be upgraded to aggravated assault. A parent who fails to protect their child from being the victim of aggravated assault or aggravated child abuse committed by a third party can also be charged with aggravated assault. The guardian or caregiver of an adult may also be charged with aggravated assault for either committing an assault against the adult or for failing to protect the adult from an aggravated assault by a third party.
- Intent of the Offender: The person charged with aggravated assault must have acted intentionally, knowingly or recklessly. Acting without regard to the potential outcome is considered as being reckless even though you might not have intended to cause harm to the victim.
Serious consequences if you are convicted of aggravated assault
Aggravated assault committed intentionally or knowingly is a Class C felony punishable by a prison sentence ranging from a minimum of 3 years up to a maximum of 15 years and fines up to $10,000. Aggravated assault committed by a parent against a child or by a guardian against an adult is also a Class C felony with the same penalties. Acting recklessly in committing an aggravated assault is a Class D felony that is punishable by a prison sentence ranging from 2 years to 12 years and fines up to $5,000.
Felony convictions result in a criminal record that remains with you even after you have completed your sentence, paid the fines and paid court ordered restitution to the victim. A felony record might prevent you from obtaining employment in certain occupations.
Innovative defense strategies
You may be accused of committing aggravated assault, but an accusation is not a conviction. Our team works diligently to build a defense strategy to challenge the evidence and all aspects of the prosecution's theory of the case. Since aggravated assault charges frequently arise from an altercation between two people, we review and investigate the facts to determine if they show that you were defending yourself against an aggressor.
We are solution oriented and client-focused, so even when the evidence appears to be stacked against you, state law permits us to explore and argue in favor of alternatives to incarceration. Sentencing alternatives can include probation supervision, judicial diversion, or a plea bargained reduction in the charges or sentence.
Our Murfreesboro criminal defense lawyers can help
If you are in need of aggressive representation in an aggravated assault case, the skilled Murfreesboro criminal defense team at Taylor Law Group is a formidable force. We stand up for your rights and protect your future. For a free initial consultation with one of our attorneys, call our office at 615-890-1982, or contact us online.