When you are charged with aggravated assault in Pennsylvania, you can expect Aggravated assault is when a person knowingly or intentionally causes bodily injury to another person or attempts to do so by placing another person in fear of bodily injury. A person can be charged with aggravated assault even if there is a fight, both people are fighting and one of the people decides to go down and file charges, even if that person was the one who actually started the fight. Aggravated assault is a very serious crime. It’s rated as a felony in Pennsylvania, and you could get up to ten years in prison if convicted of aggravated assault.
If you are convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, you are facing a maximum penalty of 20 years in jail. If you are charged with aggravated assault, you should retain a criminal attorney, a competent criminal attorney as soon as possible because there is a likelihood that the aggravated assault charges could be reduced to a lesser charge of simple assault. It all depends on the degree of the injury. If a person comes in and it is determined that the injuries aren’t as severe as initially alleged, then the court will more than likely reduce the charge from aggravated assault to simple assault. Simple assault is graded as a misdemeanor of the second degree, and is still punishable up to five years in prison.
The law firm of Mattleman, Weinroth & Miller, P.C., is composed of experienced defense attorneys throughout the state of New Jersey. Please contact the office for a free initial consultation and get any questions answered regarding criminal charges and procedures.