With over two decades each of experience in defending assault charges in the Westchester and Manhattan criminal courts, our New York criminal defense lawyers are highly experienced in defending assault charges. Our criminal defense attorneys in New York and Westchester have defended almost every type of assault case there is, from the misdemeanor to major felony assaults. If you are facing an assault charge, call our New York criminal defense attorneys for a free consultation. 

Our New York City criminal defense attorneys  and Westchester criminal defense lawyers, know that more often than not, the victim, is just as culpable as the person who is charged. There is an old saying that in a fight, the loser goes to the hospital and the winner goes to jail.  It is often unfair that the person who instigated the confrontation is now claiming to be the vicitim and charging you with assaulo.

Our attorneys know that self defense and justification are the most common defenses to an assault charge and know how to assert these defenses on your behalf. Our aggressive criminal defense lawyers move quickly to issue subpeonas to obtain video surveillance, interview witnesses and document your injuries to establish your defense.  If you are facing an assault charge in New York City, our Manhattan criminal defense attorneys can be reached at (212) 858-0503. If you are being charged with assault in Westchester, including White Plains, Yonkers, Mamoroneck, Port Chester, Rye, Scarsdale, and Tarrytown, call our Westchester criminal defense attorneys at (914) 574-8330.

 NOT EVERY FIGHT IS AN ASSAULT 

While almost every arrest for a fight results in an assault charge being brought, our NYC and Westchester criminal defense lawyers know that assault charges are difficult to get a conviction on. First, not every punch or kick justifies an assault charge. For there to be even a misdemeanor assault, there must be an injury. Merely punching or kicking or hitting someone, without an injury is merely a harassment, which is a violation and not a crime. Our criminal defense attorneys who defend assault charges know that most assault charges are overcharged, and are at best harassment charges. For an accusation to be a misdemeanor level assault, there has to be an injury, which New York law defines as substantial pain or impairment of a bodily function. So it you hit someone and did not cause enough of an injury to cause substantial pain or impairment, then you are not guilty of an assault. Our criminal defense attorneys have substantial experience in getting questionable assault charges reduced to violation level harassments with a fine. 

                                                                           SELF DEFENSE AND JUSTIFICATION 

 Our criminal defense attorneys know that self defense and justifications are defense to assault charges, and have prevailed on even assault in the first degree charges, which are the most serious level of assault charges, based upon the defenses of self defense and justification. If you are being attacked or are in fear of, being imminently assaulted, you have the right to defend  yourself. While you are not allowed to go overboard or use, excessive force, you do have a right to use proportional force to defend yourself. If another person such, as such a friend, family member or girlfriend is being attacked, you are justified in stepping in to use force to defend them.