Redwood City Battery Lawyer

Have you been charged with battery in Redwood City, California? If so, you could face significant consequences that can impact your life for years to come. The dedicated criminal defense lawyers at Ahmed & Sukaram, Attorneys at Law can help protect your freedom and ensure that you’re treated fairly throughout the legal process.

Our Redwood City battery lawyers have over three decades of combined experience defending the accused. We’ve won over 3,000 cases and successfully defended over 50 trials. We’ll put our skills and knowledge to work for you to get the results you deserve.

Our attorneys believe that everyone should have access to exceptional legal representation, even if they made a mistake. Contact our criminal defense law firm in Redwood City, CA today to speak to a member of our compassionate legal team. We offer a free, no-pressure, confidential consultation, so call now at (650) 299-0500 to schedule yours.

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How Our Criminal Defense Attorneys Can Help If You’ve Been Charged with Battery in Redwood City, CA

A battery conviction in California can have devastating effects on your life. That’s why it’s essential to speak with an experienced attorney as soon as possible so that they can get started on a defense strategy.

The Redwood City criminal defense lawyers at Ahmed & Sukaram, Attorneys at Law are here to listen to your story and help you navigate the criminal justice system.

When you hire our legal team to defend your case, you can expect us to:

Evaluate the charges against you and find weaknesses in the prosecution’s case
Gather evidence and develop a defense tailored to the facts of your case
Negotiate with the prosecutor to have your charges dismissed or reduced, or try to work out a favorable plea agreement
Correspond with the prosecutor, law enforcement officials, and witnesses regarding your case
Fiercely advocate for you in court proceedings in San Mateo County

Don’t attempt to handle a battery charge alone. Get an experienced Redwood City criminal defense attorney in your corner to fight for your rights and protect your future. The sooner you contact us to discuss the charges against you, the sooner we can start building a defense to prove your innocence. Call today for a free case evaluation to get started. Our lawyers in Redwood City are standing by to take your call.

What is Battery in California?

California defines battery as willfully and unlawfully using violence or force against another person. This is a separate offense from assault in California, which is unlawfully attempting to injure another person with the present ability to do so.

To convict you of simple battery, the prosecutor must prove that:

You willfully and unlawfully touched the alleged victim; and
The touch was offensive or harmful.

We further describe these elements below.

Willful and Unlawful Touching

You act “willfully” when you do something on purpose. You don’t have to intend to hurt the alleged victim or break the law.

For example, if you throw an object in someone’s direction and it accidentally hits them, you could be charged with battery even though you didn’t intend to hurt that person. Your act of purposefully picking up the object and throwing it toward another person may be enough for the prosecution to prove the requisite willful contact.

Offensive or Harmful Touching

Additionally, the touch doesn’t have to cause an injury for you to be convicted of battery, but it must be harmful or offensive. The circumstances of the situation and your relationship with the alleged victim will be critical when evaluating whether the contact was offensive or harmful.

For example, if you playfully push your brother while playing a game, that’s probably not enough to charge you with battery. However, if you push a stranger after arguing over a parking spot, that context may give rise to a valid battery charge in California.

What is Aggravated Battery in California?

Certain situations or circumstances may result in an aggravated battery felony charge, which carries harsher sentences.

For example, if you commit battery against any of the following individuals, you may face more severe penalties:

Firefighter
Emergency medical technician
Peace officer
Custodial officer
Lifeguard
Custody assistant
Security officer
Process server
Code enforcement officer
Traffic officer
Search and rescue officer
Animal control officer

Likewise, domestic battery carries steeper penalties. You can be charged with domestic battery if you unlawfully or willfully touch any of the following people in an offensive or harmful manner:

Your spouse
The other parent of your child
Someone who lives with you (e.g., a roommate)
Your former spouse
Your fiance
Anyone you’ve had a relationship with (e.g., anyone you dated or were engaged to in the past)

Additionally, if the domestic battery results in corporal injury causing a traumatic condition, you’ll be charged with a felony. A “traumatic condition” may include a wound or injury caused by suffocation, strangulation, or physical force.

A battery that causes serious bodily injury may result in a misdemeanor or felony charge. How these “wobbler” offenses are charged may depend on several factors, including the severity of the crime and your criminal record.

Sexual battery involves the unwanted, unlawful touching of an intimate part of someone else’s body against their will. It is another wobbler offense, and whether it’s charged as a misdemeanor or felony depends on the severity of the crime, the alleged victim’s identity and age, and the circumstances surrounding the unlawful action.

What Are the Penalties for a Battery Conviction in California?

The penalties you face will depend on the severity of the offense and whether it’s charged as a misdemeanor or felony.

For example, a simple battery usually carries the following punishment:

Jail time up to six months
A fine of up to $2,000
Jail time and a fine

However, certain factors can aggravate the penalties you may face – meaning you could face a felony instead of a misdemeanor.

For example, if you commit a battery against a peace officer who is performing their duties and you know (or should know) that it’s a peace officer, you could face the following penalties:

Jail time up to three years
A fine of up to $10,000
Jail time and a fine

Domestic battery is punishable by:

Up to one year in jail
A fine of up to $2,000
Probation
The requirement to participate in a batterer’s treatment program or counseling for at least one year
The requirement to pay a battered women’s shelter up to $5,000
Reimbursement to the victim for counseling and other reasonable costs arising from the battery

You might face additional jail time and penalties if the domestic battery caused corporal injury to the victim. This is a felony offense.

If you inflict serious bodily injury upon a person and are convicted of aggravated battery, you may face prison time up to four years.

Battery involving unlawful sexual contact will also carry harsher penalties.

What Are the Collateral Consequences of a Battery Conviction in California?

In addition to fines and imprisonment, you could face other collateral consequences if you’re convicted of battery in California, including but not limited to:

Legal issues keeping or getting child custody or visitation rights
Deportation or immigration issues
Trouble finding employment
The loss of a professional license
A damaged reputation, both personally and professionally
Trouble acquiring loans or housing
The loss of relationships with family, friends, and coworkers

A battery conviction in California can devastate your life. Don’t face these serious charges alone. Contact our Redwood City battery attorneys as soon as possible so we can protect your interests and mitigate the penalties you may face.

How Can I Defend Myself If I’m Facing Battery Charges in Redwood City, California?

The defense strategy you implement depends on the circumstances of the incident that gave rise to your battery charge and the prosecution’s case against you.

Some examples of the defenses you can raise include:

You were acting in self-defense
You were protecting someone else
You didn’t have the required intent (e.g., you didn’t act willfully)
There was no contact with the alleged victim
The contact wasn’t offensive or otherwise harmful
Your constitutional rights were violated during a search, seizure, or your arrest
You were falsely accused of the battery
Mistaken identity
There is insufficient evidence to prove the prosecution’s battery case against you

Our criminal defense attorneys in Redwood City handle these types of cases every day. We know how to evaluate the evidence against you to find weaknesses in the district attorney’s case. And we know how to gather additional evidence proving your innocence.

We can talk to witnesses, your family, and the police officers involved in your arrest to gather information. We can determine whether any surveillance footage exists to corroborate your version of what happened. There are many ways we can poke holes in the State’s case against you.

We’ll give you a better idea of how we can defend you once we listen to your side of the story and review the evidence against you. Call now so that we can get started.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Redwood City Battery Lawyers

Are you facing assault and battery charges in Redwood City, CA? A conviction can significantly affect your life in many ways. Getting help as soon as possible is your best chance at fighting the charges and minimizing the penalties you’ll face.

Contact Ahmed & Sukaram, Attorneys at Law today for a free case evaluation. Our Redwood City battery defense lawyers have over 30 years of combined experience defending people who have been charged with battery in California – and we’re ready to fight for you. Contact us today to get started so that we can protect your rights, reputation, and future.

You can also contact one of our battery lawyers in San Jose.