College is a time when young adults typically make mistakes as they learn about personal freedom and adulthood. Young adults attending college may drink alcohol and try drugs. They may date multiple people at once or try fitting into different social groups. Sometimes, attempts to socialize or experience the world can lead to young adults making major mistakes.
What starts out as a disagreement at a party could snowball into assault charges against a college student. A guilty plea or conviction could lead to jail time and other criminal penalties as well as educational consequences.
What types of scenarios might lead to young adults in Georgia facing assault charges?
Situations that lead to injury
It only takes a few moments for a minor altercation to spiral completely out of control. That is particularly true in scenarios related to romantic entanglements or experimentation with drugs and alcohol. The first definition of assault under Georgia state law is an attempt to cause physical harm to another person. Actions that aim to cause harm or that leave another party injured can potentially lead to assault charges. Even actions as simple as tripping someone could warrant assault charges depending on the circumstances.
Situations that create intense fear
There doesn’t actually need to be physical contact between the parties involved in an incident for the situation to warrant assault charges. Georgia law also treats attempts to intimidate or frighten another person as assault. When one party intentionally tries to make someone else afraid for their immediate physical safety by making a credible threat, that can also constitute assault. The perception of the other party and how a reasonable person may view the situation can influence whether prosecutors pursue charges and what defense strategies might be available.
Defendants often need help going over the circumstances that lead to their arrest and deciding how to respond to pending assault charges. Learning about state statutes can be a good place for developing a defense strategy for a college student. Seeking legal guidance is a good place to start.
