Understanding Criminal Charges of Assault

In the state of California, being arrested or accused of committing assault is a serious situation that should not be treated as anything different. Due to the penalties that are associated with something of this nature, should you be charged, immediate and proactive steps should be taken to preserve your safety and to help defend against the possibility of conviction.

For example, according to section 240 of Chapter 9 in the 2010 California Penal Code, assault is considered the threat and attempt of committing a violent act in which someone would suffer serious injury. This is only considered assault should the person threatening the act presently has the ability to commit and carry it out.

The law goes on in section 241 to outline the penalties that a person committed of assault could be facing. These are serious and include such consequences as a fine up to $1,000 and six months of incarceration in county jail. These penalties can be elevated, depending on the circumstances of the assault. For instance, the following factors would cause a more severe penalty:

• Should the assault be committed against a parking control officer
• Should the person assaulted be a fire fighter or emergency medical technician
• Should the assault be committed on a school or park property

There are many other situations upon which the penalties can be elevated and the situation be considered more severely. Regardless, however, of the exact circumstances that a person is facing, it is vastly important that no time is wasted in securing the legal counsel of a hard-hitting criminal defense lawyer following a criminal arrest.

At Okabe and Haushalter, we are intimately knowledgeable of the laws and have an extensive experience in dealing with criminal cases of this nature. Contact a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney from our firm immediately to seek the legal representation that you truly deserve.