Need to Know About Intent and Simple Battery
Being accused of battery in Florida is an unnerving experience and one that should prompt you to contact a criminal defense attorney quickly. Intent is an essential element of a simple battery charge. In order for battery to constitute a crime, there must be a specific voluntary act or something that is substantially certain to result from such an act.
The defendant, therefore, must engage in conduct in which he or she knows that a strike or a touch is certain as a result of their actions or he or she must intend to strike the person. Therefore, accidental touching or touching that is not aimed at making a contact with another individual is often insufficient to establish simple battery charges in Florida.
Whether the person who is accused had the necessary intent, is a question for the jury to resolve by looking at the circumstances and the facts associated with the touching or the striking of the victim. In all prosecutions in Florida, the touching must occur without the consent of the alleged victim or in other words, against the victim’s will. This issue often arises as a complicating factor in allegations of criminal conduct in terms of mutual combat.
You might be curious about how these cases are affected if both parties are involved in the fight.
Mutual combat is a common battery defense that is associated with both parties assenting to a physical altercation and therefore, consenting to be touched, which is not applicable to battery charges. Both parties must be at fault in order for this to apply and the defendant cannot be the primary aggressor or be the one who initiates the fight. Again, the issue of consent is one for a jury to decide and as examined in light of other facts associated with the case.
If you have been accused of simple battery in Florida, your willingness to take action quickly by consulting with an experienced criminal defense attorney is vital towards crafting a compelling defense to protect you and keep you out of jail. Do not hesitate to contact a knowledgeable attorney as soon as possible.
