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The five degrees of assault in Minnesota

On Behalf of | Mar 27, 2017 | Violent Crimes, Violent Crimes

Assault charges are relatively common in the world of criminal offenses, and even though they relate to a violent crime that should be taken notice of, these charges are often glossed over by the public at large simply because of their ubiquity. Today, we would like to dive a little deeper into assault charges and explain what they mean for the defendant and what types of assault charges can be filed against an individual.

In the state of Minnesota, there are five degrees of assault, plus domestic assault:

  • Fifth-degree assault is when someone inflicts bodily harm (or has the intent or fearful implication of doing so).
  • Fourth-degree assault occurs when someone assaults another person due to bias, or if they assault a peace officer (such as an emergency room doctor or a firefighter).
  • Third-degree assault is when substantial bodily harm is inflicted on another. If it is a child, a pattern of assault against a child could lead to third-degree assault charges.
  • Second-degree assault is when a weapon is used to deal significant bodily harm to another.
  • First-degree assault is when great bodily harm has been caused to another or if deadly force has been used.

Assault charges carry significant penalties for the accused, and while not every case will go to trial, sometimes it is in your best interests to push your case to court. In such a case, you will want experienced legal representation, and at Mankey Law Office, we have the experience and passion necessary to help you with your assault case.

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