Marietta Man Accused of Domestic Stabbing

Cobb County Superior Court

Marietta, Ga. - According to reports out of Marietta, a man in his mid-twenties is being sought by authorities for allegedly stabbing his girlfriend seven times during what is being referred to as a “domestic dispute.”

As of this afternoon, the woman is in stable condition and is expected to survive. She was stabbed in the face, neck, and arms. It is believed that the man ran away from police on foot. Warrants have been issued for the man's arrest. He is facing several different charges and is considered armed and dangerous.

As a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer, I will outline the most serious of the charges - aggravated battery.

Aggravated Battery in Georgia

Aggravated battery is much like other aggravated offenses in the state of Georgia. There is typically a base offense and then an elevated version of it. So in order to better understand the offense of aggravated battery, let's first look to the law behind the offense of battery.

Georgia Law defines battery in Georgia 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.

The more elevated and serious offense is aggravated battery in Georgia. It 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

Call us now if you or a loved one has been arrested in the state of Georgia.