Facing assault and battery charges in Massachusetts is no minor matter. When you are at risk of serving time in jail or prison, it’s best to consider this matter very seriously. In case you get convicted, you will be dealing with the consequences of this event for the rest of your life. Even if you end up with a misdemeanor, it will influence your future considerably.
How Assault And Battery In Massachusetts Influences Your Life
A misdemeanor might seem like something that won’t cause you a lot of problems. But if you think this isn’t a big deal, you are wrong as this will go straight into your record. And if it stays there indefinitely, you will always have to think about it and make sure you never get charged with any other offense.
A felony will give you even more troubles – you will have troubles finding a good place to live and to find a good job. Every serious employer will check your background and if he sees you’ve been convicted of assault and battery in Massachusetts, he won’t want to hire you.
You Need A Boston Criminal Defense Lawyer
Assault laws are not the same in every state, but most people see them as violent. So if you have to list your conviction on some application, you will not be hearing from that employer again. They won’t bother to ask you what happened in that particular case, what kind of situation you where in – they will simply call someone else.
This is why you need a Boston criminal defense lawyer, You need someone to help you fix the problem, before you get convicted. In case you are accused of assault and battery in Massachusetts, it’s better not to plead guilty. You need to contact a lawyer immediately and fight for your freedom, fight for your future.
Assault And Battery Laws In Massachusetts
The definition of assault is very clear – it’s an act that puts fear of harm in another individual. You don’t have to actually hit someone, no physical contact is required to get charged with assault. It’s enough to make a threat of such contact to get charged and prosecuted.
Battery is the act of unwanted contact which results in offense or harm. These two are considered as separate offenses and they are both punishable by fines that can reach $1,000 and a 2 and a half years prison time.
In case the individual you assaulted is seriously injured, the penalty can be significantly higher, rising to 5 years prison time and up to $5,000 in fines. The penalty can be increased in case the victim is an ambulance attendant, a child, a public utility worker, mentally retarded, etc.
Will you end up behind the bars or not depends on several factors such as the circumstances of the case and your criminal history.But prosecution has to convict you first, so make sure you contact a good criminal defense lawyer and protect your Constitutional rights.