Legal services in Austin, TX
Assault and battery is considered a serious offense in Texas. It often results in steep fines, jail sentence, and a mark on your permanent record. Additionally, it can lead to devastating personal consequences like job loss and family problems. Keith S. Hampton has years of criminal defense experience under his belt, and is skilled at defending assaultive offense cases.
Family violence
The punishment for assault on a family member is usually more severe and has its own special set of rules. It’s a matter of policy that someone should be arrested during a family dispute in Texas. A family violence case can be prosecuted, even when the accuser later recants the story and asks to withdraw the accusation. If a protective order is in place, a violation can be punishable by up to one year in prison and $4,000 in fines. The definition of family for the purposes of domestic violence charges in Texas includes:
- Blood relatives.
- Relatives by marriage.
- Former spouses.
- Parents of the same child regardless of whether they are married.
- Foster parents and foster children.
- Persons living or who lived in the same house, even if not related.
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Criminal assault
Criminal assault is only type of assault, and it's perhaps the most common. The Texas Penal Code defines criminal assault as when a person:
- Intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causes bodily injury to another, including the person's spouse.
- Intentionally or knowingly threatens another with imminent bodily injury, including the person's spouse.
- Intentionally or knowingly causes physical contact with another when the person knows or should reasonably believe that the other will regard the contact as offensive or provocative.
Some assaults result in less serious charges, like misdemeanors. However, in some cases, it can result felony. These include assaults against:
- Family members.
- An elderly or disabled person.
- Emergency services personnel.
- Security officers.
- Public servants.
Defending other assaultive offenses
The Texas Penal Code cites many other types of assaultive offenses in addition to criminal assault. Keith S. Hampton defends clients who have been accused of any of these assaultive offenses, including:
- Homicide.
- Sexual assault.
- Aggravated assault.
- Aggravated sexual assault.
- Injury to a child, elderly individual, or disabled individual.
- Abandoning or endangering a child.
- Engaging in deadly conduct.
- Terroristic threat.
- Aiding suicide.
- Tampering with a consumer product.
- Leaving a child in a motor vehicle.
- Harassment by persons in certain correctional facilities.
- Harassment of a public servant.