Rockville Assault Lawyer

Assault is really the same as assault and battery. It doesn’t get called that in Maryland per se but it is essentially the same thing. If you are facing assault charges for any assault-related charges, contact a Rockville assault lawyer to learn more about what an attorney can do to begin preparing for your case.

An assault in Maryland is any un-consented touching of another person. It’s broken down in to two different categories. There is simple assault, or misdemeanor assault, and there’s felony assault, which is assault that might be with a deadly weapon or with a threat of force that would cause serious physical injury or death to another party. If you are accused consult with a criminal attorney today to discuss your case.

How a Rockville Assault Lawyer Can Help

Assault charges are serious, whether for first or second-degree assault. It is important to have an experienced Rockville attorney by your side to help protect your rights, record, and reputation when you are charged with assault. When you meet with an attorney for the first consultation, they will review your case with you and advise you on what to do after being charged. Your assault attorney can go over possible defense strategies, negotiate a plea offer, and inform you about your options.

Assault in the First or Second Degree

As a Rockville assault attorney can tell you, there are differing ways to be charged with assault. In all cases, prosecutors will pursue a conviction aggressively.

First Degree Assault

There’s first degree assault and there’s second degree assault. First degree assault, or “felony assault,” involves a dangerous weapon or the threat of death or serious physical injury to another person.

Second Degree Assault

Simple assault, or misdemeanor assault, generally speaking does not involve a weapon or if it does there is a not a threat level that rises to death or serious physical injury to another person. Second degree assault is far less serious than a felony or first degree assault.

Assault on An Officer

You can face as much as 10 additional years of jail time if you are accused of assaulting a police officer. Additionally if you injure an office you could face as many as 25 additinnal year of jail time, making it a very serious penalty. Assault on an officer is different from other first- or second-degree assault cases, and they are prosecuted very seriously.

Biggest Mistakes to Avoid in Assault Cases

The biggest mistakes to avoid in assault cases are to respond to the police in an investigation and start answering their questions. It is always best to only speak to an officer when you have an attorney by your side.

Police officers are called to the scene whether it’s a bar fight or a domestic dispute. When police officers are called, they usually were not present for the initial incident or the assault that allegedly took place. They often ask questions, take photos of injuries and try and dissect the crime scene to understand better exactly what transpired in order to determine whether charges are appropriate.
When they ask questions, it’s important not to respond; the officers are trying to find information that will help them build a case against somebody. When you respond to an officer’s questions at the scene of an assault, you may be assisting them in building a case against you.
No matter how nice they seem or no matter how much of a misunderstanding the situation might be, it’s important to make sure to speak only through a Rockville assault lawyer who understands how assault works, who’s able to speak with officers on your behalf and who’s able to assist you in formulating a defense to the assault charges that might be coming down the pike.

Penalties for First Degree Assault

First degree assault is a felony in Maryland and because it’s a felony, it carries a significant penalty. The maximum amount of jail time associated with a first degree assault is up to 25 years of incarceration. This is a significant amount of jail time because a first degree assault is considered a crime of violence. Somebody might have been injured to such a degree that the injuries could have caused death or serious physical injury or they were threatened with force that was to such a degree that might result in death or serious physical injury. Because of how severe the threat is, the courts take the actual charge of assault extremely seriously as well.

Penalties for Second Degree Assault

For second degree assault, the penalty is a 10 year maximum period of incarceration and up to a $2500 fine. Now even though a second degree assault is a misdemeanor, it still carries a significant amount of jail time because it is the most serious misdemeanor charge that we have in Maryland.

Even though the 10-year penalty is less than first degree assault, it is more than many felony charges such as drug distribution or other felony charges that are not considered crimes of violence. Trust in a Rockville assault lawyer for help. Contact our team today.