Practice
Assault and battery
Assault charges often start with one side of a story. Someone calls first, an officer arrives after it's over, and a warrant issues on what one person said.
These cases turn on who saw what and from where. Phone video, doorbell cameras, the bar's own security system and the people who were standing nearby can tell a different story than the report.
I find those witnesses and that footage early, before it's recorded over or forgotten. If you acted to protect yourself or someone else, that's a defense, and we build it from the first meeting.
What I look at in an assault case
Who called, and when
The first caller isn't always the person who was wronged. The call log and its timing can matter.
Video that exists for a week
Many businesses keep security footage only for days. I ask for it right away.
The witnesses
People who saw it, not just the people who were in it. I talk to them while it's fresh.
Self-defense
Whether the facts support a claim that you acted to protect yourself or someone else.
How cases like this have ended
Not guilty
Assault and battery
A bystander's phone video showed who struck first.
2025 · Sample matter
Dismissed
Assault on a bouncer
Security footage contradicted the complaint.
2024 · Sample matter
Deferred
Assault and battery, first charge
Anger course and good behavior, then dismissal.
2024 · Sample matter
Sample matters, shown to illustrate the kind of work. Past results don't guarantee a similar outcome; every case turns on its own facts, evidence and court.
Questions about assault charges
The person who called the police wants to drop it. Does that end the case?
Not necessarily. Once a charge is filed, the prosecutor decides whether it goes forward. What the other person wants still matters, and we can talk about how to share it properly.
Can I contact the other person?
Please don't until we've talked. Even a friendly message can be read as pressure, and some release conditions forbid it.
What if we were both hitting each other?
Then the question is who started it and whether either of you was defending yourself. That's what witnesses and video are for.
Will this be on my record?
A charge shows up even if it's dismissed. Depending on how it ends, it may be possible to clear it later, and I'll tell you when.
Charged after a fight?
Before you talk to anyone about what happened, talk to me. Bring the warrant and the names of anyone who was there.