Misdemeanors are crimes that aren’t considered serious enough to be given long, harsh sentences. Generally, they only get up to a year in prison, while felonies get longer sentences in higher-security prisons. A criminal lawyer will tell you that when it comes to assault, there are three types of misdemeanor assault. Class C involves threats or physical contact but no injury. Class B involves sporting events, such as fights between referees and players or fans. Class A is an assault against an elderly or disabled person, even if it doesn’t result in physical harm. Class A is considered the most serious, invoking the stiffest penalties, and Class C has the lightest penalties.

A criminal lawyer in Stephenville, TX, can also tell you about the three types of felony assault according to Texas law. Third-degree felonies involve physical harm to another person. Second-degree felonies are similar to aggravated assault charges in other states, in that it describes a situation where someone commits an assault while using or brandishing a deadly weapon. If that same crime is committed against a public servant, a criminal witness, or a security officer, then it becomes a first-degree felony assault. As with misdemeanors, different types of felony assault carry different consequences, with first-degree carrying the largest penalties and third-degree having the smallest.