Assault Charges

If the alleged victim and defendant have a domestic relationship, this is considered domestic violence and a No Contact Order will likely be ordered by the judge.

The No Contact Order can prevent an accused person from seeing their spouse and children, even forcing them to find a new place to live while leaving their property behind. A good assault lawyer can argue against the No Contact Order, file a motion to modify it, and do whatever is necessary to prevent the accused person’s life from being severely disrupted.

There are four degrees or levels of seriousness that determine how an alleged assault is charged in Washington State. The 1st Degree is the most serious. 4th Degree Assault is the only non-felony assault charge.

There are enhanced assault penalties if: 

• there is a domestic relationship (domestic violence)
• a firearm or other weapon is involved (assault with a deadly weapon)
• sexual motivation occurred during the assault (assault with sexual motivation) 

If a juvenile is charged with assault, the consequences will be determined by the Juvenile Justice System.

It can be difficult to determine the differences between great bodily harm (Assault 1), substantial bodily harm (Assault 2), and non-substantial harm (Assault 4 or Assault 3).

Unfortunately, prosecutors in the Tacoma, Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Puyallup, Everett, & Olympia areas commonly err on the side of charging defendants with a more serious degree of assault. Without a skilled assault attorney in your corner, you may find yourself accepting an unfavorable plea bargain or being convicted and sentenced to jail time.

Assault 2 felony charges are typically filed when there are accusations that you caused “substantial bodily harm.” A broken bone or other injury requiring medical treatment can meet the definition of substantial bodily harm.

However, even something as minor as a couple of stitches or a broken tooth can meet the definition of Assault 2. If there is an allegation of choking or using a deadly weapon, there does not need to be an injury or even a red mark left on the skin.

An allegation of choking or suffocation is probable cause for a felony assault arrest. Assault 2 is a common charge when there are domestic violence accusations, as law enforcement is trained to ask the alleged victim if hands were placed in the throat area.

Second Degree Assault is a Class B felony in Washington State and can result in a prison term of up to 10 years and fines up to $20,000. For a first-time conviction without a weapons enhancement, jail time is typically between 3 and 9 months.

The judge cannot deviate from that amount of jail time unless it is an exceptional circumstance (which is rare). A conviction for Assault in the Second Degree will result in a "Strike" for purposes of the Three Strikes Rule (life in prison after three violent felony convictions). Gun rights are automatically forfeited upon conviction and a mandatory DNA sample must be given.

A crime that would normally be punished as an Assault 4 will be punished as an Assault in the Third Degree if the alleged harm was caused to a person while performing certain occupations (law enforcement, transit operator, hospital staff, court employee, firefighter). Assault 3 is commonly filed when there are allegations of assault on a police officer during an arrest.

Third Degree Assault is a Class C felony in WA State and can result in jail time of up to 5 years and fines up to $10,000. If you are a first-time offender and there is not an enhanced penalty for using a deadly weapon, the standard jail sentence will likely be between 1 and 3 months. Community service or electronic home monitoring can sometimes be allowed instead of jail time. A conviction for Assault 3 will result in a loss of gun rights.

If the standards for Assault 1, Assault 2, & Assault 3 are not met, Assault in the 4th Degree will be charged. No injury needs to occur for Assault 4 charges to be filed.

The intentional contact just needs to be considered offensive by a "reasonable person." Since there is often no physical evidence of an assault, being wrongfully accused of Assault 4 is common.

Fourth Degree Assault is a gross misdemeanor in Washington State and jail time ranges from 0 to 364 days, with fines up to $5000. A conviction for Assault 4 will result in a loss of gun rights if there is a domestic relationship with the alleged victim.

The court can require:

1. Alcohol or drug treatment (inpatient or outpatient)
2. Mental health treatment 
3. Domestic Violence batterer’s treatment
4. Electronic Home Monitoring
5. Community Service

No Witness Case - In most assault cases, the only witness is the alleged victim. This can create a “he said, she said” situation. While this is a weaker evidence situation, prosecutors in Tacoma, Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Everett, Puyallup, Olympia, and throughout Western Washington will normally still pursue charges in hopes of a conviction.

Witness Case - When there are third party witness statements in the police report, the statements are often inaccurate and harmful to the defendant. Unfortunately, this can be a stronger evidence situation where Washington State aggressively pursues a criminal conviction and jail time.

All allegations of assault are serious. You should not speak to the police or make any statements without the presence of an experienced criminal attorney. Unrepresented defendants are often baited into making statements that are later taken out of context and used against them.

At Beckwith Law, we are skilled assault lawyers with offices in Seattle and Tacoma. We have helped thousands of clients avoid assault convictions and jail time.

We fight for clients in the courtrooms of King County, Pierce County, Snohomish County, Kitsap County and Thurston County, including the cities of Tacoma, Kent, Seattle, Bellevue, Olympia, Everett, Puyallup, & Lakewood, WA.

We can be called any day of the week (including after-hours) for a free consultation.

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