Assault Defense

Assault Defense Cases

Van Norman Law prides itself in promoting justice in Phoenix, Arizona by offering personal injury and criminal defense solutions. Many citizens of Phoenix, Arizona are unaware of their rights, or even worse, falsely accused of a criminal infraction. Understanding the legal system is a complex labyrinth in which a guide is necessary to escape from the maze. Thankfully, Van Normal Law has been assisting clients in and out of this labyrinth for twenty years.

What is Assault?

Assault was originally called “hubris” in ancient Athenian law. Unlike the modern usage of the word, which means pride, the legal term of hubris in ancient Greece basically meant to shame or humiliate a victim. The first case of hubris documented involved two men at the theater, one of whom punched the other in the face in front of the victim’s wife and family.

The modern definition for assault is as follows: “the act of creating apprehension of an imminent harmful or offensive contact with a person.” What’s important to notice about the definition is the word “apprehension” and the phrase “harmful or offensive contact.” Apprehension is creating the anticipations of misfortune or future trouble. Thus, no physical contact need occur in order for assault to be perpetrated. Also “harmful or offensive contact” is not necessarily physical violence as many understand the definition. Thus, a threat or even a passive act of humiliation are encompassed in this definition.

Many confuse assault with battery which often goes along with assault. Battery is the actual physical act of attempting to harm another, and whether or not that person is harmed, the act of battery occurs merely from an attempt to cause physical harm.

Calling the Experts

The definition of assault is very broad, and thus, it is highly vulnerable to exploitation from those seeking revenge or money from an innocent individual. Defending these individuals is truly a joy, because we often find that the so called “victim” of the assault is merely a ferocious sheep plotting a scheme against a good person. Don’t become the object of injustice, reach out to us at Van Normal Law.