Greeley Third Degree Assault Attorney | A Kind Gesture Becomes Criminal

A groups of teens may be facing Third Degree Assault charges after hitting a man with a piece of wood when he refused their help with snow shoveling.

‘Tis the season for kindness, good deeds, and joy in Greeley, Berthoud, and Johnstown. During this time of year, it is easy to find stories of goodness where people are blessing others. Unless, of course, you turn down a kind offer like the man in the story I read about today. According to the news report, the man was shoveling his driveway after a snowstorm when a group of 10-15 teenagers stopped and asked him if he needed help. The man declined, so the teens decided to attack him. They hit him with a piece of wood and then ran off. The man did not need any medical treatment and the group has not yet been found. If they are ever caught, they will most likely be facing 3rd Degree Assault charges.

Weld County Assault in the Third Degree Lawyer: What is the Definition of 3rd Degree Assault?

The Colorado law definition of Assault in the Third Degree – C.R.S. 18-3-204 – is:

A person commits the crime of assault in the third degree if:

(a) The person knowingly or recklessly causes bodily injury to another person or with criminal negligence the person causes bodily injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon; or

(b) The person, with intent to harass, annoy, threaten, or alarm another person whom the actor knows or reasonably should know to be a peace officer, a firefighter, an emergency medical care provider, or an emergency medical service provider, causes the other person to come into contact with blood, seminal fluid, urine, feces, saliva, mucus, vomit, or toxic, caustic, or hazardous material by any means, including throwing, tossing, or expelling the fluid or material.

Because the teens knowingly caused bodily injury to the man, they would be facing this misdemeanor charge. In Weld, Morgan, and Logan County, in order to meet the bodily injury standard, all a victim needs to claim is that they felt some sort of pain. Most likely, getting hit by a piece of wood would cause some pain.

Greeley 3rd Degree Assault Lawyer: What is the Sentence for Third Degree Assault?

As a class 1 extraordinary risk misdemeanor in Colorado, 3rd Degree Assault is punishable by 6 to 24 months in the Weld County Jail. Often, we see Third Degree Assault charges coupled with the Domestic Violence sentence enhancer. When police are called to diffuse a situation between two people in a relationship, they usually get one of the parties to admit there was some type of contact that caused pain, or Bodily Injury. Then, a subsequent mandatory arrest occurs and a Domestic Violence sentence enhancer is added to any criminal charge that Greeley Police can think to charge. Finally, the person is then arrested and placed in the Weld County Jail. For a low cost attorney who can defend you from a jail or prison sentence, give our criminal defense lawyers a call.

If you or someone you love has been charged with or arrested for Third Degree Assault, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best Greeley criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009 today. Together, we can protect your future.

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