What You Need to Know About Assault and Battery in Will County

 Posted on April 05, 2019 in Uncategorized

Are cases of assault and battery rising in Joliet and Will County? It is hard to say for certain because FBI crime statistics for a given year are not published until a full year later. But, a recent look at the Will County court docket suggests that there multiple victims in the county every day of crimes such as domestic battery involving bodily harm and aggravated battery causing great bodily harm.

Who Commits Battery and Who Are the Victims?

According to figures released by the FBI in 2018, roughly one-fourth of the victims of violent physical crimes are related to their attackers, and roughly half know their attackers but are not related to them.

What Types of Battery Crimes Happen in Will County?

Most arrests for battery in Will County involve physical contact with only minor injuries. Bodily harm appears to be more common in domestic cases than when the parties are not related or living in the same household.

What Is the Punishment for Aggravated Battery in Will County?

Under Illinois law, battery that involves physical contact with only minor injuries is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail. In actuality, most misdemeanor offenders are sentenced to community service or probation rather than jail time.

Aggravated battery is a more serious crime, typically involving great bodily harm or use of a dangerous weapon. Aggravated battery is, at minimum, a Class 3 felony, punishable by 2 to 5 years in jail or up to 2.5 years on probation.

What Are Some Possible Defenses in Battery Cases?

The most common defense is self-defense—that you only hit the other person because you were hit first or believed you were in imminent danger from the other person.

Another defense is that you did not actually make physical contact with the other person. For example, perhaps you made angry remarks to the alleged victim, moved in their direction, and even threw something in their direction, but you did not make physical contact. In their flight, the alleged victim could stumble or trip and be injured in their fall. The alleged victim might accuse you of hitting them when in fact you did not make physical contact. Unless there were credible witnesses to the events, it could come down to a matter of “he said, she said” and a battery charge might not stick.

A Joliet Criminal Defense Lawyer Who Will Fight for You

Will County judges are more likely to sentence you to jail for a violent crime such as battery than for a crime like theft or DUI. When you need an aggressive Joliet criminal defense lawyer, contact the Law Offices of Jack L. Zaremba, P.C. at 815-740-4025">815-740-4025; we respond to calls every day around the clock.