battery

GEORGIA BATTERY LAWYER

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It is called simple battery, but there is not anything simple about facing a battery charge. For starters, facing a battery charge also brings up the prospect of spending some time behind bars. Lost wages and a damaged reputation accompany prisons sentences to change dramatically the life of someone facing a simple battery charge. Future employment prospects are hard to find, as most employers screen job candidates for criminal convictions. The worst ramification of a battery charge might be how the charge wreaks havoc on your personal relationships, such as the bonds you have formed with friends, family members, and professional peers.

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At Garland Law Group, our team of experienced criminal defense lawyers understands the stress and anxiety generated by the pressure of dealing with a simple battery charge. We go to great lengths to ensure our clients are in the best possible legal hands possible. Our battery charge experts will be with you every step of the way until we can exonerate you of all charges.

If you face a simple battery charge, the simple solution to your legal woes is to contact the battery specialists at Garland Law Group.

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Overview of Georgia Battery Law

Georgia battery law is defined by statute O.C.G.A. §16-5-23: “A person commits the offense of simple battery when he or she either (1) intentionally makes physical contact of an insulting or provoking nature with the person of another, or (2) intentionally causes physical harm to another.”

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Convicting a defendant of a battery charge requires the state to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the defendant committed the crime of battery. Despite the fear and anxiety that is often triggered by a battery charge, you should know that proving any crime “Beyond a reasonable doubt” is frequently a tough thing for the prosecution to do. All our team of Georgia licensed criminal defense attorneys has to do is plant one seed of doubt into the mind of just one juror for the entire jury to return to the courtroom with a not guilty verdict.

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Simple Battery Penalty in Georgia

Hiring a highly rated battery lawyer in Georgia is a critical component of you presenting the most compelling case of your innocence. If you fight a battery charge on your own or hire an inexperienced criminal defense attorney, you might face a conviction that produces a misdemeanor on your criminal record. The punishment for a battery misdemeanor is jail time up to one year and a fine that cannot exceed $1,000.

However, Georgia criminal law ups the legal ante for a simple battery charge for several circumstances. The bump up to aggravated battery can produce a prison sentence up to one year, as well as a fine up to $5,000. Here are the circumstances as directly quoted from statute O.C.G.A. §16-5-23 that elevate a simple battery charge to an aggravated battery charge in Georgia:

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“If the crime is committed against a person, who is 65 years of age or older or a female who is pregnant at the time of the offense.”

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“If the simple battery is committed in a public transit vehicle or station. If the offense was against a police, officer, correction officer, or detention officer engaged in their official duties.

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“If the crime is committed between past or present spouses, foster parents of foster children, or other persons living in the same household.”

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“If the person committing the battery is an employee, agent, or volunteer at a long-term care facility and the victim is a person who is admitted to or receiving services from such facility or person. An example of a long-term care facility is an assisted living community or personal care home.”

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“If the battery was against a sports official during an amateur contest or while the official is on or exiting the property.”

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“If the crime is committed against an employee of a public school system of this state while the employee is engaged in official duties or on school property.”

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Legal Options for Defending a Simple Battery Charge in Georgia

Our team of skilled criminal defense lawyers have numerous ways to defend clients against a simple battery charge.

• No contact

• Lack of motive

• Self-defense

• Defending another person or a group of people

• Defending private property

• Consent of the alleged victim

Our primary objective is to prove your innocence by presenting physical evidence that plants the all-important seed of reasonable doubt. We will also call witnesses to the stand that confirm your version of events. Defense of another person or a group of people is a common method for planting the seed of reasonable doubt as well.

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Garland Law Group Battery Attorneys

If you face a simple battery charge in Georgia, you should treat the charge with a sense of urgency. Everything else in your life must go on hold for you to focus on restoring your good name. At Garland Law Group, we defend our clients against battery charges with the utmost sense of urgency by making sure the legal process proceeds in a timely manner. In addition, our dedicated team of criminal defense attorneys possesses the level of negotiating skills required to keep our clients out of prison.