If you are one of the residents of California who are made to feel unsafe or come under attack, every qualified and experienced domestic violence lawyer in Orange County suggests that you have the right to fight back and protect yourself from any type of harm. Defending yourself and others from imminent harm is very important to maintain your safety, as well as the safety of the ones around you.

Unluckily, the ones who are acting in defending themselves may be charged with assault in spite of intentions behind their actions. However, self-defense is a valid defense against assault charges and other violent crimes.

A trusted Orange County domestic violence attorney or criminal defense lawyer may be able to help the ones who acted in self-defense face their assault charges and get back to their daily lives. At The Law Offices of Sood and Sood, the lawyers have years of experience fighting for the rights and interests of every client and helping them achieve favorable results for their cases. When you make a decision to hire our law services, we will completely investigate your case and work with you to build a winning defense strategy.

• Establishing self-defense in an assault case

In California, assault is defined as an unlawful attempt to inflict harm on another individual coupled with the ability to inflict said harm. At the same time as self-defense is a legitimate defense against assault charges, following are required to be established by the lawyer:

1. You did not have any other reasonable choice other than to make use of force to protect yourself
2. You did not threaten or provoke to harm the other person
3. The other person made a credible threat to injure or harm you
4. You had a reasonable fear that the other person would make use of force against you

It is very important that even if you had a lawful reason to act in self-defense, there are limitations on the amount of force you can legally exert. For instance, if someone threatened to punch or slap you, it would be unlawful and unreasonable to make use of a deadly weapon to stop them. A professional and experienced criminal defense or family law attorney in Orange County will work with you to understand every detail of the case and determine if self-defense is an appropriate defense for the charges against you.

• Possible penalties for assault in California

The possible penalties for an assault charge in California differ extensively based on whether you were charged with a simple assault or a felony-level assault. A simple assault is charged as a misdemeanor and is punishable by up to six months behind bars and a fine of $1,000.

Certain aggravating factors can escalate a simple assault to a felony assault. A few aggravating factors that may escalate your charges include the following:

1. Committing battery and causing severe bodily injuries
2. Committing an assault with a caustic chemical
3. Committing an assault with a deadly weapon
4. Assaulting a police officer

Based on the particular felony charge, convicted individuals may go through up to 4 years in prison and a $1,0,000 fine. If you have been charged with an assault for acting in self-defense, the consequences are too steep to go without the help of an experienced criminal defense attorney. Your attorney will work with you to build a strong defense and advocate aggressively for your rights and interests.

Have a word with a knowledgeable assault defense attorney at The Law Offices of Sood and Sood

At The Law Offices of Sood and Sood, our lawyers have a proven track record of successfully defending our clients against their charges. We have a team of highly experienced lawyers who completely understand that there is absolutely no one-size-fits-all defense and pride ourselves on taking a personalized approach to every case.

When you partner with us, your defense lawyer will be an aggressive advocate for justice on your behalf. No matter if you are in the hunt for a criminal defense lawyer or an experienced divorce attorney in Orange County, you can always count on The Law Offices of Sood and Sood. Schedule an appointment now!