Georgia Man Facing Murder Charges After Fatal Bar Fight

According to reports out of Pickens County, a man is facing murder charges as well as aggravated battery charges resulting from a bar fight that ended in the death of one of the fighters.

One of the men has been accused of being responsible for the victim's death. The witnesses to the incident say that a pool cue was used as a weapon in the attack.

As a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer, I will outline the offenses of both battery and aggravated battery in today's post.

Battery and Aggravated Battery in Georgia

To best understand the offense of aggravated battery, it is necessary to look at the law behind battery first. 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.

Aggravated battery in Georgia is defined by Georgia Law in O.C.G.A. §16-5-24 as:

A person commits the offense of aggravated battery when he or she maliciously causes bodily harm to another by depriving him or her of a member of his or her body, by rendering a member of his or her body useless, or by seriously disfiguring his or her body or a member thereof.

Aggravated battery is classified as a felony. An aggravated battery conviction can result in up to 20 years in prison.

Practice Note

There are two sides to every story. And for some stories there are multiple sides. We understand that just because someone has been accused of a crime does not mean that he or she is guilty of that offense. Contact a Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney now.