Battery is a legal term referring to injury or unwanted physical touch brought by one person against another. It is often grouped together with the charge of “assault,” which describes the intent to cause physical injury, but differs from battery in that battery describes the actual physical assault, rather than the intent of the aggressor.
Simple Battery
Under the definitions of common law battery, the following elements must all be present in order for a case to qualify as simple battery. The case must include:
- The unlawful application of force
- To the person of another
- Resulting in either bodily injury or an offensive touching
Again, a prosecutor must be able to prove all three of these elements beyond reasonable doubt for the charge of simple battery to apply.
Other Types of Battery
However, there are more forms of battery beyond “simple battery”. Variations on battery can elevate the severity of the charge. Simple battery is handled as a misdemeanor, but other types of battery charges are treated far more seriously.
Examples of other types of battery include:
- Sexual battery—Sexual battery involves one individual touching the intimate parts of another person without consent.
- Family violence battery—Family violence battery specifically describes instances of battery that occur within familial relationships.
- Aggravated battery—Aggravated battery is a far more serious charge than simple battery in that aggravated battery is treated as a felony. This type of battery usually applies to cases where the act of battery results in permanent disability or disfigurement to the victim of the battery.
Call a Minneapolis Assault and Battery Lawyer
Battery is a very serious crime and cases of battery must be handled by a qualified and experienced legal professional. If you have been a victim of battery, contact the Minneapolis battery defense lawyers of Terry & Slane, P.L.L.C. at 612-362-0000 today.
