A criminal conviction for assault in Ohio is one of the most serious convictions an individual can face. Specifically, a criminal assault conviction can lead to high monetary fines, jail time, and other potential consequences, including severe harm to one’s reputation. If you are currently facing an assault charge in Akron, you must find an experienced Akron criminal defense attorney as quickly as possible.
The skilled team of Akron assault defense lawyers at Patituce & Associates, LLC understand the potential legal penalties and life consequences that may result from an assault conviction. We can explore various legal defenses to your charge or work on negotiating a favorable plea deal with the state prosecutor. Our team will aggressively fight to protect your constitutional rights and work to secure the best possible result in your criminal case.
To discuss your situation and charges with a knowledgeable Akron Assault Defense Lawyer, please contact our office immediately. Consultations are free, and we can take your call 24/7.
Why Choose Us to Represent You in Your Criminal Assault Case?
Given the potential penalties you can face upon conviction, you want the best possible team of attorneys representing you and defending you against your criminal assault charge. When it comes to thoughtful, result-oriented legal representation, you should look no further than the Akron assault defense attorneys at Patituce & Associates, LLC.
Our knowledgeable legal team has a strong track record of successfully defending individuals against pending criminal charges, including assault charges. In addition to our lawyers successfully defending accused individuals for a combined 70-plus years, three of our team members were once state prosecutors. As a result, we thoroughly understand how prosecutors build their cases against accused individuals and use that knowledge to our clients’ advantage.
Once we enter an appearance on your behalf, we can start aggressively fighting for your legal rights. Specifically, we can further your interests by preparing a solid legal defense to your criminal assault charge and representing you at your criminal bench or jury trial. Alternatively, we can work with the state prosecutor to pursue a favorable plea deal on your behalf.
Our office is in Downtown Akron at 520 South Main Street, Suite 2511. We represent criminal defendants in the Akron area and throughout Ohio.
Let us achieve the best possible result in your pending criminal case. We know the criminal justice system does not work in your favor as a defendant, but you can trust our firm will have your best interests and constitutional rights in mind.
Potential Penalties for an Akron Assault Conviction
For you to incur criminal penalties on an assault charge, the state prosecutor handling your case will first need to satisfy every legal element of your case. In addition, they must prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt,”which is a very high legal standard to satisfy. If the state prosecutor can meet their burden, then a sentencing judge will have a duty to impose various penalties against you following statutory minimums and maximums.
The potential legal penalties that you may incur for an assault conviction will depend upon the assault charge you face.
- If you face a conviction for simple assault, you can receive 180 days of incarceration and a $1,000 monetary fine.
- A conviction for aggravated assault can lead to six years of incarceration and a monetary fine of $ 5,000.
- A conviction for negligent assault can result in 60 days of incarceration and a $500 fine.
- If you ultimately sustain a conviction for second-degree felonious assault, you can receive 12 years of incarceration and a $15,000 fine.
- Upon conviction for first-degree felonious assault, you can receive 16.5 years in jail and a monetary fine of $20,000.
- A conviction for menacing can result in 70 days of incarceration, along with a $250 monetary fine.
- If you sustain a conviction for vehicular assault, you can receive 18 months of jail time.
- A conviction for vehicular manslaughter can result in 90 days of jail time.
- A conviction for aggravated vehicular assault can lead to five years in jail.
In addition to these potential legal penalties upon conviction, you can face numerous collateral consequences. For example, if you have an assault conviction on your record, you might have difficulty finding a place to live in the area. Additionally, you may have trouble finding or keeping a job or gaining admission to an educational program, such as at a college or university.
These difficulties often arise when landlords, employers, and educational institutions perform criminal background checks on applicants. If they encounter an assault conviction on the applicant’s record, they may deny the application.
In addition to these potential collateral consequences, an individual with an assault conviction on their record can face significant harm to their personal and professional reputation in the community.
By avoiding an assault conviction in the first place, you will not have to worry about any potential penalties or collateral consequences. However, suppose you ultimately sustain a conviction on your criminal assault charge. In that case, our legal team can represent you at your sentencing hearing and argue for the most minor penalty. We can also work to lessen the collateral consequences you might face upon conviction.
Types of Criminal Assault Charges in Ohio
Ohio recognizes several assault charges:
- The first type of assault is simple assault. This charge arises when an individual recklessly or knowingly brings about (or attempts to) some type of physical harm to another person or a fetus. When various aggravating factors do not exist, this is the default assault charge.
- Ohio recognizes the crime of aggravated assault. The definition of this offense is essentially the same as simple assault. However, the accused must have committed the offense using a dangerous ordnance or a deadly weapon.
- An individual can face criminal charges for negligent assault if they negligently use a dangerous ordinance or weapon and bring about some type of physical harm to another individual or fetus.
- Felonious assault charges result when an individual intentionally and knowingly uses dangerous ordnance, transmits AIDS, or brings about some type of severe physical harm to someone else.
- A criminal assault charge for menacing arises when an individual knowingly causes someone else to feel threatened that either themselves or a family member will suffer physical injuries at the hands of the accused.
- A vehicular assault charge may arise when an individual uses a vehicle as a weapon to harm someone else.
- Criminal charges for aggravated vehicular assault can happen when the alleged victim suffers one or more serious physical injuries.
- A vehicular manslaughter charge can arise when the accused individual commits some minor misdemeanor traffic offense but accidentally brings about another individual’s untimely death.
If you are currently pending one or more of these criminal assault charges in Akron, you need to reach out to a skilled and experienced Akron criminal defense attorney immediately.
At Patituce & Associates, LLC, our legal team can meet with you to discuss the circumstances surrounding your criminal charge and arrest and determine the best legal options for defending against your pending charge.
Successfully Defending Against a Pending Criminal Assault Charge
In response to a pending criminal assault charge, you can raise one or more legal defenses. If a defense is successful in court, it might work to negate one or more legal elements of the prosecution’s case, resulting in a complete dismissal of your charge.
You must also remember that in a criminal case involving assault, the accused individual does not need to satisfy any legal burden of proof. Rather, the entire legal burden rests with the state prosecutor handling the case.
Moreover, the accused does not need to take the witness stand or testify in their own defense. The accused individual’s Fifth Amendment constitutional right protects them against self-incrimination.
Some of the most common defenses that may prevent the prosecutor from establishing their legal burden of proof in an assault case include:
- Self-defense, where the accused individual was not the initial aggressor, and they used an amount of force that was proportionate to the force that the alleged victim used against them
- Defense of others, where an individual uses a proportionate amount of force to defend someone else
- Alibi, where the accused individual was not present on the date or at the time of the alleged assault incident
- Mistaken identity, where the accused individual can show that the alleged victim misidentified them as the assailant
- Constitutional violations, such as where an accused individual asserted their Fifth Amendment right to the presence of legal counsel during a custodial interrogation, yet the police officer continued to question them.
Our legal team can determine if you may be eligible to raise one or more of these legal defenses in response to your criminal charge. If you qualify, we can assert the proper legal defense on your behalf at trial and pursue a complete dismissal of your pending assault charge.
Our Akron, Ohio, Law Office is Prepared to Serve You
Patituce & Associates is conveniently located in Downtown Akron at 520 S Main Street, Suite 2511, Akron, OH 44331. Visit our office or reach out to us by phone or on our website, and a member of our team will contact you right away to discuss your potential case.
Plea Deals in Criminal Assault Cases
Instead of taking your assault case to a criminal court trial, we can negotiate a favorable plea deal with the state’s attorney handling your case. Some prosecutors are more willing to agree to a plea deal arrangement if they are not confident in securing a conviction against the accused at trial.
As part of a plea deal, the accused pleads guilty to some criminal offense in exchange for one or more concessions from the state prosecutor. For example, as a concession for a guilty plea, the prosecutor might reduce the pending assault charge from a felony down to a misdemeanor. Alternatively, they might agree to probation, allowing the accused individual to escape a conviction if they successfully complete all of their probationary terms.
Our legal team can advise you on the pros and cons of accepting a pending plea deal from the prosecutor, given the facts and circumstances of your charge. By agreeing to a plea deal, you give up certain legal and constitutional rights, including your right to a jury trial, under the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and your right of appeal.
Steps to Take After an Arrest for Criminal Assault
After the police arrest you, do not answer any questions until you consult your lawyer. If you invoke your right to the presence of legal counsel and the officer continues to question you, your lawyer can work to suppress any incriminating statement you make.
Additionally, after an arrest for criminal assault, do not contact the alleged victim – in person, electronically, or otherwise. This is especially true if the judge grants a protective order in favor of the alleged victim prohibiting this type of conduct. If you contact the alleged victim after a judge enters a protective order against you, police can re-arrest you for violating your protective order.
Finally, consult our Akron assault defense lawyers as quickly as possible after your arrest. Our legal team can enter an appearance in your case and begin safeguarding your legal rights immediately. We can also start exploring potential legal defenses in your case and represent you in all legal proceedings in court.
Call an Akron Assault Defense Attorney Right Away
At Patituce & Associates, LLC, we welcome the opportunity to aggressively defend you against your pending assault charge and achieve the best possible result in your criminal case.
For your free case evaluation and legal consultation with an experienced Akron assault defense attorney, please call us at (440) 641-4434 or contact us online.
Patituce & Associates, LCC – Akron Office
520 S Main Street, Suite 2511
Akron, OH 44331