Assault and battery are separate crimes, but are often charged together. Assault is, for all intents and purposes, an attempt to commit a battery. It is a threat of force or use of force that makes another person apprehensive of a harmful or offensive contact. A battery is, for all intents and purposes, the touching of another person in a harmful or offensive manner. It is essentially a willful use of force or violence against another person.

An assault and/or battery can be charged as a more serious or aggravated crime if the offender uses a firearm and/or some other deadly weapon, or if the assault and/or battery were against a government officer or an elderly person.

Violent criminal charges can include: aggravated assault, arson, assault and battery, domestic violence, hate crimes, homicide, larceny, rape, manslaughter, mayhem and murder.

One of the most serious areas of violent crime is homicide - killing a person, whether lawfully or unlawfully. Justifiable homicide and excusable homicide are lawful homicides, while criminal homicide, negligent homicide, reckless homicide and vehicular homicide are unlawful homicides. Unlawful homicide comprises the two crimes of murder and manslaughter.

For more information about assault and/or battery, and/or other violent crimes, as applied under the laws of the State of California, or to discuss your criminal charges with an experienced criminal defense attorney, please contact us immediately at: 949-497-1729; or complete our Confidential Client Contact Form on our web page.