Category: Assault

 

In recent years, police brutality and questions over excessive use of force have been heavily featured in local and national news. It seems like hardly a week has gone by without a new video of a citizen being shot, beaten, or otherwise assaulted by an officer, with “he said, she said” stories to go along.

 

One recent video from Colorado involves a 22-year-old student being body slammed to

 

There are many motives behind assault and other violent crimes: uncontrollable emotions, a verbal altercation, intoxication, and so on. Some motives can be at least partially justified in court (i.e. a “crime of passion”), but when race or other types of biases are a factor, the case can go in the opposite way: penalties and charges may increase.

 

In other words, by arguing that you hurt someone due

 

You might have seen on the news or in movies that a person has been charged with not just assault, but “aggravated assault.” This kind of charge definitely sounds more serious than a simple assault charge, but what does it mean? When is assault “aggravated?” How much more jail time does someone convicted of aggravated assault get?

 

We’ve got the basics for you.

 

Colorado and Aggravated Assault

 

If you have been charged with assault or assault and battery, you are not alone. Assault and aggravated assault are the most common violent crimes committed in the state of Colorado.

 

But what does assault and battery mean? You often hear “assault and battery” charges lumped together, but each charge has a separate definition and applies to different situations. Moreover, each charge has serious consequences under Colorado law,

 

In Colorado, you can be charged with assault in the first, second, or third degree depending on the circumstances of your case. But what are the differences between these degrees? And, more importantly, what are the possible penalties if you’re convicted?

 

Let’s look at the different levels of assault and the penalties associated with each crime.

 

First Degree Assault

 

First degree assault is a crime of