Virginia Assault and Battery Lawyers

In Virginia, Assault is classified as a Class 1 Misdemeanor, punishable by up to 12 months in jail or a fine of up to $2,500.  A conviction for Assault can stay on your criminal record permanently and may lead to time in jail, difficulty passing background checks, maintaining or obtaining a security clearance, obtaining loans or housing, or the stigma of being convicted of a crime.

An experienced and aggressive criminal attorney in Virginia will help to increase your chances of avoiding an assault conviction, minimizing any potential sentence and impact, winning an acquittal, or having the charge dismissed completely.  At Krum, Gergely, & Oates, LLC, we have the experience you need to fight and succeed in defending your Virginia assault charge in front of a judge or a jury.

Essentially, the crime of assault in Virginia occurs when a defendant intentionally touching another person in an intentionally harmful or offensive way.  

While the crime of assault is very common, it has endless scenarios.  It can be a fight in a bar or at a party, a violent domestic situation, the wrongful discipline of a child, or an unwelcome advance from a man or woman.  But just as common as assaults are, false accusations or assault are also very common. Every assault or alleged assault occurs on its own under very different unique sets of facts.  The attorneys at KGO are prepared to defend any type of assault given in your case.

Because the assault is so unique, it is critically important to be represented by an experienced attorney who knows how to form a strategy to serve your defense.  Often, assaults are not witnessed by police or other witnesses, and there is no direct evidence to present in a court other than the word of the victim and the presence of an injury – or the lack of any injury.  Emotions are often running high on both sides of an assault, and the parties often times have a personal and emotional relationship or interaction.  Just as often as someone has a motive to commit an assault – a person has a motive to fabricate or lie about an assault.  

Having an experienced and aggressive attorney can hone your defense and explore all feasible avenues to fight against an assault allegation.  That means exploring all of the facts, speaking and bringing in witnesses, revealing when a witness is biased or has a reason to lie, and undermining the credibility of witnesses to a prosecutor, judge, or jury.  It may also be important to prepare mitigating evidence to lessen the sentence or effect of an assault charge, with the goal of limiting criminal exposure or having the charge dismissed.  

At KGO, we have the experience and know-how to bring utilize all of these factors to reach the best possible outcome in your case.

Some common defenses to assault are:

• Self-defense – the defendant committed the assault in order to protect him or herself against physical harm from the victim.
• Revenge – a person fabricated or made up the assault in order to have the person arrested, gain an advantage in a custody battle over their children, after an argument with someone in a relationship after learning about cheating.  

• Accident – someone is struck during an argument or while moving around that was unintentional.  The contact with the other person was not done intentionally or was an accident.

• Mutual Combat – when two people readily agree to enter into a fight with one another, the loser of the fight cannot turn around and say that they were assaulted by the person who wins the fight.  

KGO’s Virginia criminal attorneys have successfully defended and represented hundreds of clients facing assault charges in Virginia.  They have helped many clients receive complete exonerations and not guilty verdicts of their assault charges in front of judges and juries. Each case was very different, requiring a unique strategy and outlook.   Your case and your situation are no different.  You need and deserve a top-rated defense.  We can help.

Call (703) 988-3711 or email us today to schedule a free consultation about your Virginia assault case and learn how we can help.