Felony aggravated assault is most commonly charged in serious physical domestic disputes and cases involving physical altercations with police. In both instances, injuries are often substantial and medical treatment is involved. These are serious felony cases that warrant experienced counsel from a Philadelphia aggravated assault lawyer. Contact an assault lawyer in Philadelphia as soon as possible after you are accused.
In the case of police, because they are treated as a special class in Pennsylvania, any injury to them, however slight, can be charged as a felony aggravated assault. Lastly, aggravated assault is often charged in one-on-one assaults, person or persons to each other, and when one or more parties suffers extremely serious injuries causing medical treatment. Obviously, injuries sustained by weapons are most commonly charged as felony aggravated assaults.
Aggravated assault in Philadelphia is treated in a very serious fashion. It is commonly charged as a felony and carries some of the stiffest penalties. Because aggravated assault is an attempt to cause serious bodily injury to another person intentionally, knowingly or recklessly, with extreme indifference to the value of human life, obviously prosecutors and Courts treat these charges in a harsh fashion. This is why it can be advantageous to seek an aggressive and experienced Philadelphia aggravated assault lawyer who can fight on your behalf in court.
A person can be found guilty of aggravated assault if they intentionally, knowingly or recklessly cause serious bodily injury to another. Serious bodily injury or an attempt to cause such injury is required. While specific degrees of aggravated assault exist in Pennsylvania, it is the serious bodily injury or attempt to cause serious bodily injury that makes this charge a felony.
The penalties for felony aggravated assault in Pennsylvania are amongst the stiffest in the United States. As such, a felony aggravated assault of the first degree can carry up to 20 years incarceration and a felony of the second degree up to 10 years incarceration. This is why having an experienced Philadelphia aggravated assault lawyer on your side can make all the difference when an accused is fighting for their own life.
With the right attorney fighting for you, a case can often be reduced to lesser charges and penalties and fines either eliminated or minimized.
Assault with a deadly weapon is defined in Pennsylvania as a second degree felony aggravated assault. Specifically, aggravated assault graded as a felony of the second degree is an assault when a person attempts to or intentionally causes bodily injury to another with a deadly weapon. A deadly weapon can be a gun, knife, bat, vehicle or anything readily made that can be used as a weapon. An assault with a deadly weapon can also be characterized as a felony of the first degree when the injury caused or attempted is more serious. Thus, when serious bodily injury is involved a felony of the first degree is charged. Assault with a deadly weapon is only one manner in which felony aggravated assault can be charged in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
If you are charged with felony aggravated assault you should first contact an attorney with experience in handling Philadelphia aggravated assault cases. Never give a statement to police before consulting an experienced Philadelphia aggravated assault lawyer.
Once you have found an attorney you feel comfortable with, your Philadelphia aggravated assault attorney can schedule a turn-in date and immediately begin preparing a defense for your case.