Another Domestic Violence Case Amid Georgia Shelter in Place Order

As a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer, I've covered a few stories in the past couple of days related to the crimes that have seen a rise since the pandemic started.

Since so many people are confined to their homes, the crimes that have been on the rise have been related to domestic violence. In Georgia, these crimes fall under the umbrella of “family violence.” According to reports out of Roswell, a young man in his twenties got into a fight with his girlfriend. It escalated quickly and led to the man striking her car with an ax several times. He then allegedly hit the woman and took off on foot.

Police are still looking for him. In today's post, I will cover one of the offenses allegedly committed by the man in the story above. As I mentioned earlier, this falls under the category of family violence as well.

Battery in Georgia

 Battery in Georgia is defined by Georgia Law in O.C.G.A. §16-5-23 as:

A person commits the offense of battery when he or she intentionally causes substantial physical harm or visible bodily harm to another.

Visible bodily harm means bodily harm capable of being perceived by a person other than the victim and may include, but is not limited to, substantially blackened eyes, substantially swollen lips or other facial or body parts, or substantial bruises to body parts.

Battery is classified as a misdemeanor offense. A battery conviction can result in up to 12 months in jail and $1,000 in fines.

Furthermore, the term "family violence" means the occurrence of one or more of the following acts between past or present spouses, persons who are parents of the same child, parents and children, stepparents and stepchildren, foster parents and foster children, or other persons living or formerly living in the same household: any felony or the commission of battery as well as:

• Assault in Georgia
• Stalking in Georgia
• Criminal Damage to Property in Georgia
• And Criminal Trespass in Georgia.

Practice Note

If you or a loved one has been arrested in the state of Georgia, please contact our offices today. A Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney can help you with your case now. We can let you know what options are available for you.