People often use weapons to help them remain safe. Unfortunately, this is sometimes necessary with the state of the country these days. Along with feeling the need to have a weapon comes the possibility of facing criminal charges if you ever have to use it. These violent crime charges can have stark impacts on your life.
One of the common charges related to this is assault with a deadly weapon. In order to understand this, you have to know what is considered a deadly weapon. Some think that this involves only guns and knives; however, many other things can be considered lethal. A lethal weapon is anything that can be used in a way that would result in death.
You should also know that assault with a deadly weapon doesn’t even have to entail you actually using the weapon to do harm. Instead, you can face this just for threatening someone with the weapon you have. For example, threatening to beat someone with a tire iron could be considered assault with a deadly weapon.
There are instances in which an assault charge is considered aggravated. This might not have anything to do with the use of a weapon. Sometimes, aggravated assault charges are levied against a person based on the victim’s identity. This is the case if the person who is being assaulted is a teacher, fireman or police officer. Other victims, such as the elderly or disabled, might also lead to this charge.
If you are facing any type of assault charge, you need to think about your future. These are considered violent charges that might lead to you being unable to find a suitable job, as well as other collateral consequences. Your defense strategy may help to minimize the penalties you have to live with.