What Punishments Come with an Aggravated Assault Conviction?

In broad terms, Tennessee statute defines assault as an intentional or reckless act that causes bodily injury; causes fear of imminent bodily injury; or that involves offensive physical contact with another person. If you are found guilty of this, then you may be facing a simple assault conviction, otherwise referred to as a misdemeanor assault. But if your incident involves the presence of aggravated factors, then your charge may be upgraded to aggravated assault, or felony assault. Follow along to find out what types of punishments might come with an aggravated assault conviction and how one of the proficient Clarksville assault lawyers at Fendley and Etson can help you avoid them entirely.

What type of felony offense might aggravated assault be considered in the state of Tennessee?

In short, the Tennessee criminal court may categorize your aggravated assault as a Class E felony, Class D felony, or Class C felony. Namely, a Class E felony is the least serious out of all the class rankings recognized by Tennessee law. This makes a Class D felony as one of the less serious class rankings. Lastly, a Class C felony is the third-to-the-highest in the class ranking. Without further ado, aggravated assault might be considered a Class E felony, Class D felony, or Class C felony under the following circumstances:

• Class E felony: an aggravated assault that involves “serious” bodily injury to another person with the use of a deadly weapon.
• Class D felony: an aggravated assault that involves the “reckless” cause of injury to another person with the use of a deadly weapon.
• Class C felony: an aggravated assault that involved the “intentional” cause of injury to another person with the use of a deadly weapon.

What types of punishments might come with an aggravated assault conviction in the state of Tennessee?

With the different classes of felony assault come different levels of punishments. They read as follows:

• Aggravated assault as a Class E felony:
  • Imprisonment for anywhere between one to six years.
  • Fines of up to $3,000.
• Aggravated assault as a Class D felony:
  • Imprisonment for anywhere between two to 12 years.
  • Fines of up to $5,000.
• Aggravated assault as a Class C felony:
  • Imprisonment for anywhere between three to 15 years.
  • Fines of up to $10,000.

Along with the criminal punishments mentioned above, a felony assault conviction may come with long-lasting effects on your personal life. Examples read as follows:

• You may have to carry a criminal record with you for the rest of your life.
• You may be limited in your opportunities to obtain housing and employment.
• You may threaten your opportunities for child custody or child visitation.
• You may tarnish your reputation with your family members and friends.

You may be intimidated by having to defend yourself in your upcoming criminal court proceedings. But one way to make this easier is to have one of the talented Montgomery County criminal defense lawyers stand by your side throughout. Contact Fendley and Etson at your earliest possible convenience.