Mooresville Assault & Battery Lawyer

Mooresville Assault & Battery Attorney

In North Carolina, assault and battery charges can be either misdemeanors or felonies, and the severity depends on the nature of the offense and the specific factual circumstances surrounding it. If you or a loved one needs help with an assault and/or battery charge, an experienced Mooresville assault & battery lawyer can help. Jonathan D. Griffin at Griffin Law, PLLC, can investigate your charges and provide reliable legal assistance throughout your case.

What’s An Assault and Battery Charge?

By North Carolina statute, an assault generally involves an intentional act causing harm to someone else, which results in a fear of imminent physical harm or contact that is unwelcome. A battery typically involves the unlawful and intentional use of violence or force against someone else. Of note, assault and battery is often considered a single crime, but an assault can happen without battery.

Assault and battery charges in Mooresville can be either misdemeanors or felonies. If you’ve been formally charged with assault and battery, prosecutors take these charges seriously and typically seek harsh consequences in order to prevent future offenses.

What Happens in A Criminal Case?

Each case is different, and the exact steps for a specific case typically vary, depending on factors such as whether the case is considered a felony or misdemeanor, whether you’ve been arrested or cited to appear in court, and more. Here are the basic steps of an adult criminal case:

• Offense
• Investigation (usually by the Mooresville Police Department)
• Arrest
• First Appearance
• Probable Cause Hearing (for felony cases)
• Plea Negotiations and an Entry of Plea
• Trial
• Sentencing
• Appeal (not every case is appealed)

An experienced criminal defense attorney can help protect your rights right away from the first step of a criminal proceeding.

How Common Are Assault and Battery Cases?

Since 1993, statistics show an overall decline in the total rate of violent victimization from 78.8 per 1,000 people aged 12 or older in 1993 to 22.5 victimizations per 1,000 people in 2023. This data for violent victimizations includes sexual assault or rape, robbery, simple assault, and aggravated assault.

Also, this downward trend includes the rate of violent victimization reported to police across the country, as the 2023 rate was 6.6 reports per 1,000 people versus the 1993 rate of 33.8.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons, as of March 2025, reports that the number of inmates currently incarcerated for homicide, aggravated assault, and kidnapping offenses totals 4,902, which is 3.4% of the total inmate population.

Although statistics show crime is declining across the U.S., the right attorney can make all the difference and help you avoid a conviction for assault and battery so you don’t end up a statistic yourself. An attorney can explore whether any legal defenses are available for your specific case.

What Are Legal Defenses?

Generally, legal defenses are arguments typically made by attorneys for their clients to challenge the criminal charges against them. The attorney’s goal is to prove their client’s innocence with legal defenses or to mitigate the severity of the charge. Some legal defenses include: 

• Self-Defense
• Consent
• Mistake of Fact

Also, depending on your case facts, there may be other legal defenses available. An experienced attorney can investigate your case and explore whether any defenses may be applicable to your situation.

FAQs

What Are the Possible Consequences for Assault and Battery in Mooresville, NC?

In Mooresville, the potential consequences for an assault and battery conviction depend on whether you’re charged with a misdemeanor or a felony. Misdemeanor consequences can be jail time (up to 150 days for Class A1, up to 30 days for Class 2), fines, probation, and/or other penalties. Felony penalties can include lengthy prison sentences, fines, probation, and/or additional penalties. For more information, contact a trusted criminal defense attorney.

Can I Get My Assault and Battery Charges Dismissed?

Yes, you can work to get your assault and battery charges dismissed in North Carolina, but whether you are successful depends on the case specifics and the evidence. Lack of evidence, successful self-defense arguments, witness issues, or procedural errors can often lead to a dismissal of charges. An experienced attorney can provide invaluable help when negotiating with prosecutors to get charges dismissed.

What Questions Should I Ask an Assault and Battery Attorney at a Consultation?

There are many questions that you could ask an attorney to determine whether they’re the right attorney to represent your legal interests in a criminal case, including asking about their prior experience handling cases like yours, their defense strategy, the possible outcomes and consequences you might face, their attorney fees, their communication style, and about their qualifications and experience.

The attorney you retain should provide clear answers to your questions and provide you with peace of mind about their capabilities.

What Does an Assault and Battery Attorney Cost in Mooresville?

Each attorney determines their own attorney fees based on factors like their experience level, familiarity with handling criminal cases, and the complexity of the case. Some attorneys use a flat-fee agreement, others use an hourly rate, and others have alternate arrangements with clients.

Many attorneys schedule initial consultations to discuss your case. At Griffin Law, PLLC, we offer free consultations with a knowledgeable attorney at our office.

Contact Griffin Law, PLLC, Today – Free Consultations

At Griffin Law, PLLC, Jonathan D. Griffin can provide comprehensive representation for your criminal charges. If convicted in North Carolina, charges can impact your personal freedoms and your ability to purchase firearms. With so much at stake, it’s important to consult an attorney right away so they can begin to build a solid defense case on your behalf.

For the past 19 years, Jonathan D. Griffin has worked to secure positive case resolution for clients throughout Iredell County. He has extensive knowledge of the criminal code and uses legal defenses to protect his clients. We explore all options for your case, which means we’re not satisfied with quick plea deals, and we thoroughly investigate the charges you face.

Our office is located right off I-77 and I-40 in the heart of Downtown Statesville, with plenty of available parking.

Contact us to set up an initial, no-cost client consultation with an experienced defense attorney.