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aggravated battery

DEFENDING AGGRAVATED BATTERY CHARGES IN GEORGIA

Tensions are running high at an Atlanta suburban bar. After all, the bar is packed with fans watching one of the most heated and most storied college football rivalries in the United States. Labeled as the Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate rivalry, the football game between the Georgia Bulldogs and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets has come down to the final two minutes.

Suddenly, an argument breaks out at the bar. It seems one fan accidentally spilled beer on a second fan who retaliated by tossing his beer into the eyes of the first fan. The fan who received the beer dousing is highly sensitive to one of the ingredients used to brew the craft beer. Under Georgia criminal defense law, the second fan might have committed an act of aggravated battery, which is one of the most serious criminal charges anyone can face in the State of Georgia.

If you face aggravated battery charges, you need to enlist the legal help of a Georgia licensed criminal defense attorney who has successfully litigated dozens of aggravated battery cases. Going it alone or working with an inexperienced criminal defense lawyer is a surefire way to endure the harsh penalties that frequently accompany aggravated battery convictions.

Aggravated Battery and Georgia Criminal Defense Law

Here is how Georgia criminal law defines aggravated battery:

“A person commits the offense of aggravated battery when he or she maliciously causes bodily harm to another by depriving him or her of a member of his or her body, by rendering a member of his or her body useless, or by seriously disfiguring his or her body or a member thereof.”

Some examples of aggravated battery include the following criminal acts:

  • Shooting a gun at another person

  • Hitting someone with a weapon

  • Act causes temporary disfigurement

  • Act results in the victim becoming permanently disfigured

  • Act committed against protected classes, including police officers, healthcare professionals, and social service employees                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

When you face an aggravated battery charge, you will not be overwhelmed by the legal skills of the prosecution team. We have already talked about the importance of hiring a criminal defense attorney who specializes in handling aggravated battery cases. Another reason why you have a good chance to win your case is the State of Georgia requires a burden of proof that is “Beyond a reasonable doubt.” This means even the slightest hesitation to convict by just one member of the just is all it takes for the jury to return to court with a not guilty verdict.

At Garland Law Group, our team of persuasive criminal defense attorneys explore every possible option for spreading the seeds of doubt that inevitably lead to your exoneration.

Penalties for Aggravated Battery in Georgia

Subsections (c) through (g) of the Georgia aggravated battery code section states “a person convicted of the offense of aggravated battery shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than 20 years.” The minimum prison sentence for an aggravated battery conviction is one year. Moreover, committing aggravated battery in Georgia is usually considered a felony. Having a felony conviction on your legal record can hamper your career, as well as negatively impact your personal relationships.

The State of Georgia legal code also includes exceptions to the standard penalty rule for aggravated battery. One of our criminal defense attorneys will closely review your case to confirm there is not an exception to the standard penalty rule for aggravated battery that applies to your case.

Types of Aggravated Battery Defenses in Georgia

Accomplished criminal defense lawyers know how to defend clients against aggravated battery charges. Here is a list of the most common defenses we use to defend our clients:

  • Injury not severe enough

  • Instrument used not a deadly weapon

  • No intent to cause a serious injury

  • Defending another person or a group of people

  • Self-defense

  • Defense of private property

 

As a time tested way to obtain a not guilty verdict, having an alibi and/or one or more eyewitnesses corroborate your story helps you prove your innocence. Proving self-defense was needed must follow one or more of these legal standards:

  • Threat of illegal force

  • Reasonable fear of physical harm

  • No chance to escape

  • No provocation from you

 

Treat Aggravated Battery Charges with a Sense of Urgency

Having to face an aggravated battery charge is one of the most stressful experiences you will ever face in your lifetime. Because of the acute fear and anxiety, the highly rated criminal defense lawyers at Garland Law Group not only consult with our clients, we also give them the emotional support they need to fight back in a courtroom. Our superior record litigating aggravated battery cases has made our firm the go to team of litigators in the State of Georgia.

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