An Experienced Assault Lawyer Serving New Jersey

Assault is a charge for intentionally inflicting harm on another person. In New Jersey, there are several different types of assault charges, but generally, they all fall under two categories: simple or aggravated. No matter the type of assault someone has been charged with, all are considered serious crimes that can result in significant fines and lengthy prison sentences.

As a leading assault attorney in New Jersey, Shugar Law Office is here to help when you’ve been charged with assault. Whether it’s simple assault, aggravated assault, or assault with a deadly weapon, our expert New Jersey assault attorneys will craft a strong defense for you. We’ll examine all the evidence gathered, scrutinize witnesses, and provide robust arguments to defend you in the courtroom. If you’re facing the uncertainty of a New Jersey assault charge, trust our legal team to help you every step of the way.

A Simple Assault Lawyer Helping NJ Residents

In the state of New Jersey, simple assault describes an event that involves making threats or causing minor bodily injuries, such as bruises or small cuts, to another party. It can also include causing bodily injury due to negligence when using a weapon. Furthermore, simple assault can consist of threats such as scaring an individual into believing they may receive a serious injury.

If a situation such as this has occurred, simple assault cases are generally considered disorderly personal offenses. One common example of simple assault is when two persons are engaged in a fight.

As a simple assault lawyer in New Jersey, Shugar Law Office has knowledgeable attorneys on staff that can help assist if you’ve been charged with simple assault. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you navigate the often complex legal system when faced with this charge.

An NJ Aggravated Assault Attorney That Works Hard for You

At Shugar Law Office, we have established aggravated assault attorneys available to help you face this serious charge. Aggravated assault is significantly more severe than a simple assault charge. There are several factors that can lead to a person being charged with aggravated assault. Three primary factors include:

• The type of injuries sustained.
• The intent of the individual causing the harm.
• The weapons used to cause the injuries.

The injuries sustained are broken down into three categories: bodily injury, significant bodily injury, and serious bodily injury. The first, bodily injury, is limited to physical injuries or pain suffered due to the harm caused. Significant bodily injury includes a temporary loss of function such as an organ or limb or loss of one of the five senses. This includes breaking a bone or causing someone to fall unconscious. Serious bodily injury involves risking someone’s life, causing permanent organ damage, or causing a long-term disability or disfigurement. An example of a serious bodily injury would include permanent hearing loss or a life-long limp when walking.

When taking intent into consideration, aggravated assault includes an individual acting purposefully, knowingly, and recklessly. Authorities will often charge a person with aggravated assault when extreme indifference is shown to human life and its value. This “indifference” is less related to an individual’s state of mind and has more to do with their conduct that resulted in a strong possibility of injury as opposed to a simple possibility of injury. An example of extreme indifference and the strong possibility of injury would be driving a vehicle into a crowd of people.

Finally, the weapon used plays a factor in being charged with aggravated assault. In addition to firearms and knives, a deadly weapon is considered any other object that can be utilized in a way that can kill a person or seriously injure them. An example of the use of a deadly weapon would be using a crowbar to hit someone during a crime of domestic violence.

Understanding the Differences Between Simple and Aggravated Assault Charges

As the name implies, aggravated assault is a more serious charge than simple assault. There are several factors that can lead to a person being charged with aggravated assault. Three primary factors include:

• The injuries caused.

• The intent of the person causing injury.

• The weapons used to cause injury.

The types of injuries can be defined as follows: bodily injury, significant bodily injury, and serious bodily injury. Bodily injury is limited to physical injury or pain. Significant bodily injuries could include temporary loss of function of an organ or temporary loss of one of the five senses. This could include breaking someone’s bones or knocking them unconscious.

As the most extreme, serious bodily injury involves risking someone’s life, causing permanent organ damage, or causing long-term disfigurement. An example includes a blow that leads to a permanent hearing loss or a life-long limp.

When discussing intent, aggravated assault includes a person acting purposefully, knowingly, and recklessly. Authorities will place this change on individuals who display an extreme indifference for human life and its value. In the legal world, extreme indifference has less to do with the defendant’s state of mind and more to do with whether their conduct resulted in the strong probability of injury as opposed to the simple possibility of injury. An example showing a strong probability of injury would be driving a vehicle into a crowd of people.

Finally, the weapon used plays a factor. In addition to firearms and knives, a deadly weapon is considered any other object that could be used in a way that can kill a person or seriously injure them. For example, hitting someone with a crowbar would be considered the use of a deadly weapon.

What Is the Difference Between Assault and Battery?

The terms assault and battery are often used interchangeably, yet there is a distinct difference between the two. In New Jersey, battery charges require physical contact like a punch or slap, whereas assault only requires making another person think physical contact is imminent.

Assault with a Deadly Weapon

Assault with a deadly weapon is a form of aggravated assault. As the name of the charge suggests, it means when someone intentionally uses a deadly weapon to injure someone or cause apprehension or fear of a personal injury.

The Benefits of Hiring a Criminal Defense Attorney to Help Drop Assault Charges

If you get arrested and charged with a crime in New Jersey, you’ll likely miss days from work, spend time in jail, and need to interact with law enforcement. Depending on the severity of the charges, you could be facing significant fines, court fees, loss of driving privileges, other financial difficulties, and jail time.

At first, hiring a lawyer might seem like you are just adding to your financial burdens, yet the truth is, if you are arrested for a felony in New Jersey, you could be facing years in prison and tens of thousands of dollars in fines. Hiring an aggravated assault attorney to handle a serious assault case is the best way to get professional advice when facing the weight of the New Jersey criminal justice system. You need an experienced and resourceful lawyer working to get your assault charges dropped so you can return to your life with as little effort as possible.

It’s rarely a good idea to handle a legal issue alone or defend yourself in court against an assault charge. A knowledgeable assault attorney understands the legal complexities involved with assault citations and crimes of domestic violence. Don’t go to court undefended or under-defended. Look to the leading assault attorneys in New Jersey to provide a well-planned defense for your assault case. Besides being an assault citation lawyer that can help get simple and aggravated assault charges dropped, we also offer the following legal services:

• Defense for traffic tickets
• Speeding ticket representation
• Defending against DUI/DWI charges
• Other criminal defenses

Contact the Shugar Law Office today and see why the residents of New Jersey trust us as their assault attorneys!