Part 1 – Assault and Battery
The terms “assault and battery” are often used together although these are two separate crimes. An assault is defined as an action that causes a person to feel the threat of impending violence. An action such as raising a fist or moving menacingly towards the intended victim constitutes an assault, even if no physical contact has occurred. The crime of battery occurs when there is physical contact. Grabbing a person’s arm or punching or striking a person constitutes a case of battery (Baldwin, 2007). Simple assault or battery, where there is limited threat of violence or a minor ...
