Domestic Violence Charges – Blog 7: Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon

December 18, 2020

By Criminal Defense Lawyer Jeremy Rosenthal

jeremy@texasdefensefirm.com

(972) 369-0577

Most aggravated assaults with a deadly weapon are where someone threatens a person with something like a knife, gun or some other object.  We see domestic cases frequently where the police arrest a spouse or partner who grabbed something like a scissors or a kitchen knife during a heated argument and was alleged to threaten the other.

Aggravated Assault with a deadly weapon is a charge which leaves a mental impression by its name that doesn’t always match reality.  For that reason, I’ve worked with lots of folks who were stunned to have been charged with it.  It goes without saying aggravated assault with a deadly weapon cases can also be far more serious than simply one spouse being momentarily threatened by an object.

Like choking, it is an assaultive offense which is based on it’s conduct as much or more than the result – which is why I wanted to talk about it separately in my continuing series of blogs about defending domestic violence.  Most assault offenses are strictly result-based.

The Law on Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon

This charge is committed where someone uses or exhibits a “deadly weapon” during the commission of an assault.  A “deadly weapon” under Texas law is any item for which the use or intended use could cause serious bodily injury or death.

Remember, an “assault” can be a situation where there is physical contact – or where there is an imminent threat.  So a situation where a knife, gun, scissors, an ash tray, a picture frame, a vase, or anything else are used to threaten another person – it could be construed as aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Another area of confusion on these cases is whether the deadly weapon is used “during the commission” of an assault.  Let’s say someone has a weapon at one point during the incident but the assault occurs at a different point.  For instance, a couple is arguing and one has a weapon in their waistband.  The weapon is never displayed.  Moments later that partner hits the other one with their hand.  Many prosecutors would argue the weapon was used “during the commission” of the assault hence aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon is a 2nd degree felony and punishable between 2 and 20 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $10,000.

Folks who do plead guilty or are convicted o aggravated assault with a deadly weapon can still be given deferred adjudication or probation.  The charge, however, does limit eligibility and defendants who go to trial must have a jury approve probation – and the accused cannot have been convicted of a felony in this state or any other state.

Good News/ Bad News with Agg. Assault w/ Deadly Weapon

The good news with these types of charges is it can be easy to carve out lesser-included offenses.  That means at trial a jury frequently has the opportunity to acquit someone of the higher offense and potentially convict of a misdemeanor assault instead.

The flip side of the coin — the bad news — is for the same reason aggravated assault with a deadly weapon give the prosecution lots of plea bargaining leverage.  They can take a weak aggravated assault with a deadly weapon case and make into a strong misdemeanor or lower felony charge.

*Jeremy Rosenthal is certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of legal specialization.  He is recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters.

 


Domestic Violence Charges – Blog 4:  Different Charges and Punishment Levels

December 15, 2020

By Texas criminal defense lawyer Jeremy Rosenthal

(972) 369-0577

www.texasdefensefirm.com

I’m dedicating the next few weeks to blogging about defending domestic and family violence charges.  In those blogs I’m discussing here and there the different charge and punishment levels of different assault cases but it’s not particularly reader friendly.  Taking inventory of the different levels of punishment can be confusing so I thought I’d dedicate a blog to giving folks a straightforward index to the most common assault and domestic violence arrest scenarios.

So here it is.

Assault by offensive or provocative contact:

  • Class c misdemeanor (fine only);
  • Prosecuted in city court or in a Justice of the Peace Court;
  • Can be prosecuted by municipal prosecutor (city court) or district attorney’s office (JP Court);
  • Can still be subject to an affirmative finding of family violence.

Assault by threat:

  • Class c misdemeanor (fine only);
  • Prosecuted in city court or in a Justice of the Peace Court;
  • Can be prosecuted by municipal prosecutor (city court) or district attorney’s office (JP Court);
  • Can still be subject to an affirmative finding of family violence;
    • Occurs where someone threatens another with imminent serious bodily injury or death;
  • Can be subject to an affirmative finding of family violence;

Assault causing Bodily Injury:

  • Class a misdemeanor (up to 1 year of jail, fine not to exceed $4k);
  • 3rd degree felony with prior affirmative finding of family violence (2-10 years TDC & fine not to exceed $10k);
  • Prosecuted by District Attorney’s Office;
  • Jurisdiction in County Court at Law if charged as a misdemeanor;
  • Jurisdiction in District Court if charged as a felony;
  • Occurs where there is assault causing bodily injury;
    • “Bodily injury” is physical pain, impairment of physical condition or illness
  • Subject to affirmative finding of family violence.

Violation of a Protective Order

  • Class a misdemeanor (up to 1 year of jail, fine not to exceed $4k);
  • Prosecuted by District Attorney’s Office;
  • Jurisdiction in County Court at Law;
    • Occurs where a person violates an Emergency Protective Order
  • Penalties can be more severe if more frequent violations/ and or violence occurred during the violation.

Assault by Choking (impeding the airway, normal breathing or blood circulation in the neck);

  • 3rd Degree Felony (2-10 years TDC & fine not to exceed $10k);
  • Prosecuted by District Attorney’s Office;
  • Jurisdiction in District Court;
    • Occurs where a person impedes the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of the person by applying pressure to the person’s throat or neck or by blocking the person’s nose or mouth;
  • Subject to affirmative finding of family violence;

Continuous Violence Against a Family Member;

  • 3rd Degree Felony (2-10 years TDC & fine not to exceed $10k)
  • Prosecuted by District Attorney’s Office;
  • Jurisdiction in District Court;
    • Occurs where a person commits two or more acts of assault causing bodily injury against a family member in a 12-month period;
  • Subject to an affirmative finding of family violence.

Aggravated Assault (Serious Bodily Injury)

  • 2nd Degree Felony (2-20 years TDC & fine not to exceed $10k);
  • Prosecuted by District Attorney’s Office;
  • Jurisdiction in District Court;
    • Occurs where a person causes serious bodily injury injury (SBI)
    • SBI is injury with a substantial risk of death, serious permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of bodily member or organ
  • Subject to affirmative finding of family violence;

Aggravated Assault (Use or Exhibit of a Deadly Weapon)

  • 2nd Degree Felony (2-20 years TDC & fine not to exceed $10k);
  • 1st Degree Felony (5-99 years or life & fine not to exceed $10k) if deadly weapon used in conjunction with serious bodily injury of a family member;
  • Prosecuted by District Attorney’s Office;
  • Jurisdiction in District Court;
    • Occurs where a person ‘uses or exhibits’ a deadly weapon in the commission of an assault
    • The assault is often assault by threat when a weapon is used to threaten
  • Subject to affirmative finding of family violence;
  • More legally complicated to qualify for probation or deferred adjudication;
  • Not eligible for parole unless 50% or more of the sentence is fulfilled.

*Jeremy Rosenthal is certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.  He is designated as a Texas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters.

 


Is it a Crime to Threaten Someone?

May 22, 2018

By Criminal Defense Lawyer Jeremy Rosenthal

texasdefensefirm.com

(972) 369-0577

A threat is a crime in Texas under certain circumstances.  I’ll discuss the two most common.

Terroristic Threat

The first offense is labeled by the Penal Code as a “Terroristic Threat“.  It might be a touch aggressively named, but is committed when there is a threat of violence seeking a particular reaction listed under Texas Penal Code 22.07(a)(1).  Examples include trying to put another person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury, trying to interrupt public transportation, or trying to cause a reaction of an Emergency Organization.

Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon

The second is aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.  Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon can be committed several different ways — but for our discussion, it is committed where a person “uses or exhibits” a “deadly weapon” during an assault by threat.

A deadly weapon is legally defined by Texas Penal Code 1.07(a)(17) as a firearm or anything which has a use or intended use that is to inflict serious bodily injury or death.  Prosecutors can get pretty liberal with what is and isn’t a deadly weapon.  In general if someone is threatened with an object like a knife, bat, pipe or something like that — it will be an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

What About Freedom of Speech?

Any legal scholar will tell you there is a limitation to every right under the bill of rights.  You cannot run into a theater and yell, “fire!”  In fact, Terroristic Threat is the very crime you’d be committing by doing so.

*Jeremy Rosenthal is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas. Nothing in this article constitutes legal advice.  For legal advice about any situation you should contact an attorney directly.