When most people hear the word “assault,” they think of someone getting physically struck by another person. However, that is NOT the definition of assault in Virginia or many other jurisdictions. Assault means someone has only threatened to hurt another person physically and accompanied that threat with a physical motion indicating the assaulter intends to follow through with that threat. Assault is defined as Read More
Virginia Assault and Battery: What You Need to Know
Many people assume that assault and battery are a single crime, but they are actually two separate offenses. A person can be accused of committing assault, battery, or both in a single instance. Whether charged with only one offense or both together, the penalties for conviction of assault and battery crimes can be severe. If you or someone you know has been accused of committing these offenses in either Northern Read More
Is There a Duty to Retreat Under Virginia Criminal Law?
One of the perennially controversial topics in criminal law - and one that we still see discussed vigorously today - is about the so-called “duty to retreat,” which deals with the question of when an otherwise criminal act of violence is justified by self-defense. Different states have different approaches, with some states employing the duty to retreat approach, which means a defendant cannot successfully assert Read More
