Georgia Dentist Turns Himself in For Assaulting an Uber Driver

Woodstock dentist, Damon Bond, turned himself in after being accused of assaulting an Uber driver last weekend. The Uber driver posted the video of the assault on Facebook.

According to reports, Bond threatened the driver by telling him that he had a firearm in his possession.

As a Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney, I will outline the offense of assault in our state.

Assault in Georgia

Georgia Law defines assault in Georgia as:

A person commits the offense of simple assault when he or she either (1) attempts to commit a violent injury to the person of another; or (2) commits an act which places another in reasonable apprehension of immediately receiving a violent injury. O.C.G.A. §16-5-20.

A conviction for assault in Georgia will be treated as a misdemeanor. The penalty can include a period of confinement of up to one year and up to $1,000 in fines.

Georgia Law also has an elevated version of assault - aggravated assault in Georgia. Aggravated assault is considered a felony in Georgia.

Practice Note

There are certain situations that can cause an escalation of the misdemeanor offense of assault. It will be charged as a high and aggravated misdemeanor if it is in any of the following situations:

• If the assault is committed in a public transit vehicle or station.
• If the crime is committed between past or present spouses, foster parents of foster children, or other persons living in the same household.
• If the crime is committed against a person, who is 65 years of age or older. 
• If the crime is committed against an employee of a public school system of this state while the employee is engaged in official duties or on school property.
• If the crime is committed against a female, who is pregnant at the time of the offense.

Arrests should always be taken seriously which means serious representation. If you or a loved one has been arrested, contact a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer today.