Two Women Charged with Beating Another Woman Outside of Georgia Club

According to reports out of Richmond County, Augusta police have arrested two 21-year-old women – Hollie Carter and Jordie Holt after beating a woman outside of a nightclub.

Carter and Holt face aggravated battery charges after they both allegedly beat a woman so badly that she is facing complete loss of sight in one of her eyes. The victim said that she was approached by both of the women outside a local nightclub – The Scene in downtown Augusta. They confronted her over a former boyfriend.

The victim's mother told news stations that her daughter's orbital bone was fractured. Doctors have had to install a titanium plate in her skull.

The two women have stated that their actions were done in self-defense after the alleged victim apparently attacked them first.

This is important because as in every incident there are two different sides to every story. You never know the truth of the facts. That is for the court to determine. A person is to be considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

As a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer, I will outline the offenses of both battery and aggravated battery in today's post. The two crimes are used interchangeably by the media, and I want to clear up any confusion by jumping into the laws below.

Battery and Aggravated Battery in Georgia

In order to properly comprehend the offense of aggravated battery, we need to look into 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.

The law defines the injuries that constitute “visible bodily harm.” 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

If you or a loved one has been arrested, contact a Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney now.