Assault is a serious crime that land you in jail for a long time if you aren’t able to have the charges reduced or dropped. As you begin your fight against the assault charges levied against you, it’s a good idea to review the assault laws that are in place in Florida. This should help you build a defense for your case.
Assault is a crime that many people confuse with battery. When someone hears the word assault, they tend to think that it is the actual harming of another person. It just sounds like a word that would mean inflicting harm. It’s the contrary. Assault is defined as the threat of harm to another person, according to the law in Florida.
In Florida, there are statutes for simple assault, aggravated assault and felony assault. The determination between the three types of assault is done by the severity of the offense. There are different penalties associated with each level of assault, too, that bring about jail time, fines, restitution and prison time.
A simple assault is charged as a second-degree misdemeanor. An aggravated assault is charged as a third-degree felony. Suspects charged with and convicted of a simple assault in Florida can spend no more than 60 days in jail and be fined no more than $500.
A prosecutor will need to prove intent to harm or that a threat was even made for you to be convicted of assault. You can use defenses such as it was an accident, a misunderstanding or a joke, done in self-defense, there was no intent or it was in defense against harm to your property.
Facing a weapons offense in Orlando is a serious issue that should not be overlooked. You need to know the laws you are charged under in order to build a strong defense to the crime you have been accused of committing.