Assault and battery charges can come with steep penalties

Most Illinois residents interact with other people on a daily basis. While most of those interactions may be brief and uneventful, some may not go as planned. In fact, you may have found yourself in an unexpected altercation with another person that you were unsure how to handle. Unfortunately, things got physical.

You may not consider yourself a violent person, and the idea of one day facing assault and battery charges may have seemed unfathomable to you. However, that is the exact situation you now face.

Why were you arrested?

It can be difficult for authorities to determine in the moment who did what. As a result, if you and another person got into a physical altercation, you both may have been arrested and charged. You may not think the charges suit the circumstances because you may have been trying to defend yourself or someone else, but it may take time in the courtroom before you can clear up the situation.

If authorities charged you with assault and battery, you need to understand that those charges can range in severity. The following information may be useful to you:

• Battery involves insulting, provocative or unwanted physical contact with another person or actions that caused bodily harm to another person.
• Assault does not typically involve physical contact according to Illinois law.
• If an altercation results in severe injuries, permanent disability or disfigurement, aggravated battery charges could result.
• Aggravated battery charges could also apply if a deadly weapon was involved.