A person can be charged with assault if they are in a fight with another person. The police often will try to get to the bottom of what happened and only arrest the instigator, but this may be difficult or impossible to do in certain situations, and they could always arrest the victim if they can’t get the story straight when they arrive. Anytime a person has been arrested for assault and battery, especially if they did not instigate the fight, they will want to contact an Assault And Battery Lawyer New York City as soon as possible.
The most common defense to assault and battery is that of self-defense. However, this only goes so far. A person typically has the right to protect themselves using reasonable force equal to the force used by the other person. If a person is hit, they are able to hit back to stop the fight and get away. Most of the time, they will have a duty to retreat if it’s possible to retreat without fighting or once they have gotten the person to stop attacking them. Since each situation is different, it can be difficult for a person to know when this defense is going to work.
When a person hires a lawyer, the lawyer can take a look at all of the evidence for the case to determine if this is going to be a viable defense. This means they’ll take a look at the police reports and witness statements. When possible, they’ll also view any video footage that may be available. Once they have reviewed all the evidence, they can be sure that they’re using the right defense for their client and may be able to have the charges dismissed because of self-defense.
Anytime a person is involved in a fight and is charged with assault and battery, they’re going to need to hire an Assault And Battery Lawyer New York City to help minimize the legal repercussions. In some cases, they may even be able to have the charges dropped if it can be proved they were simply acting in self-defense. For more information or to hire a lawyer, contact Lawyer Ada R. Pretto now.
