You got into a fight with another person, and then you were arrested and charged with assault and battery. Now what should you do? If you've never been involved in a situation like this before, it can be pretty scary and confusing. The first thing you should do is educate yourself on what an assault and battery charge is. Then, you need to hire an experienced criminal defense lawyer who will walk you through the rest of the process of dealing with your charges.

What Is Assault And Battery?

According to TheFreeDictionary.com, assault and battery is when one person strikes a victim and knocks them down, or follows through with any other type of violence against another person. In regards to criminal law, assault and battery includes the threat of attack on another person, followed by an actual attack that involves touching another person with hostile intentions.

The attack can be done by punching and/or kicking, or it can be done with a weapon like a knife. This type of criminal offense can range from a minor misdemeanor to a major felony, depending on each specific situation. Usually, the more injuries sustained by the victim, the more severe the charges are. The average sentence for a person convicted of assault and battery can range from community service to several years in jail.

Hiring An Assault Lawyer

After you or someone you know has been charged with assault and battery, the first thing you need to do is hire an experienced criminal defense lawyer who specializes in this type of case. Look for a lawyer who has won all or most of his assault and battery cases, or at least settled out of court in his or her client's favor. If you or the person charged with an assault crime is still in jail, hiring a lawyer is usually all it takes to be let out on the condition that you'll return to court with your lawyer to plead your case.

What To Expect From Your Lawyer

Once you've hired a competent attorney to handle your case, you can expect several things to happen. First, your lawyer will conduct an investigation by analyzing the circumstances surrounding your case. He will review police reports, interview witnesses, and speak with opposing lawyers.

The lawyer will then decide to try and get the charges against you dropped, lessen the charges, or plea bargain for a shorter and less invasive sentence. The most common way to avoid a criminal charge in an assault and battery situation is to convince the court that you were acting in self defense.

Your lawyer will represent you in court during your trial and do his or her best to convince the judge and jury that you are innocent. After your trial, if you are found innocent, the charges will be dropped and you will be acquitted of the crime. If you are found guilty, then your lawyer negotiate with the judge to try to get you the smallest sentence possible.

This is just a simple overview of what you can expect if you've been charged with assault and battery. Hiring a lawyer is your first concern. Then the lawyer will help you through the rest of your case, and he or she will represent you in a court of law. Hopefully, you will be acquitted of all charges, or if you are found guilty, then your lawyer like one from Metropolitan Lawyer Referral Service Inc should do his or her best to get you a sentence that you are comfortable with.