An assault charge carries high fines and imprisonment penalties. According to Montana law, purposely causing another person bodily injury constitutes an assault. Other situations that may lead to this charge are negligently causing bodily injury with a weapon, knowingly making physical contact of a provoking nature with another and purposely causing reasonable apprehension of bodily injury in another.
If you are accused of this offense, you should make informed decisions. The following are three mistakes to avoid.
Incriminating yourself
When you are arrested for an assault crime, you should cooperate with the police. But this does not mean providing answers to all the questions they ask. If they ask you to follow them to the station or provide personal information, such as your name and address, you should do so. However, you need professional help to answer questions concerning the case.
Talking to the police about the allegation without professional guidance is tricky, as you can incriminate yourself.
Contacting the involved party
Calling, texting or visiting the involved party may not be wise. Of course, you want to talk to them to clear any misunderstandings. While this may seem like the easy way out, it may make the case complicated, as anything you tell them can serve as evidence against you. Further, contacting someone with a restraining order against you may get you into more legal trouble.
Discussing the case
Talking about the case with your family and friends is another mistake to avoid. It may seem harmless, but you never know who the police will interview to obtain more information.
If you are facing an assault charge, you should get professional help sooner to develop a strong defense that protects your rights.
