Assault charges
A charge is the prosecutor’s version of what happened
Assault cases usually rest on what two or three people say happened. We read every statement, find where they do not match, and look at what the video, the photographs and the medical records actually show.
We defend misdemeanor and felony assault, menacing, fighting, and charges that grew out of a dispute between neighbors, coworkers or people who know each other. We defend the person who was charged; we do not represent people who are seeking a court order against someone.
We take
Misdemeanor and felony assault
Fighting and menacing
Charges filed after a dispute
Four things we read first
Four things decide most assault cases. We start with all four before anyone talks about a plea.
The statements
Who said what, to whom, and when. Early versions are compared with later ones.
The video
Doorbell, phone, store and body camera footage, watched frame by frame.
The injuries
Photographs and medical records, and whether they match the account.
The scene
Where it happened, who else was there, and what could be seen or heard.
What the fee covers
What the fee covers for an assault charge
Misdemeanor and felony assault follow the same flat fees as every other charge of that level.
Misdemeanor assault
One case in county or municipal court.
Discovery requested and read, video included
Witness statements compared line by line
Every hearing up to a plea, a dismissal or a ruling
Felony assault
One felony case in district court.
A written case plan after we read discovery
Preliminary hearing prepared and argued
One investigator trip to the scene
A jury trial is its own flat fee, and expert witnesses are billed apart. Our flat fee pays for legal work. Court costs, fines, restitution, bond and expert fees are paid to others; we name each one and its amount before it is spent.
What people ask about assault charges
Does it matter who started it?
It can matter a great deal. Self-defense and defense of another person are part of how these cases are argued. We ask for your account first, and we check it against everything else.
The other person does not want to go forward. Is the case over?
Not necessarily. The prosecutor decides whether to continue, not the person who made the complaint. We tell you what that usually means for your case after we read the file.
Can I contact the person who made the complaint?
Check your release papers before you do anything. If they say no contact, any contact can cause new trouble. Ask us first.
Tell us what the complaint says
Send the charge and the date of your next hearing. We reply with a time to talk.