Substantial & Misdemeanor Battery Lawyer
Rick Coad is an experienced felony and misdemeanor battery defense attorney in Madison, Wisconsin. He has 20 years of experience defending these charges that can bring serious consequences upon conviction.
Our Madison, WI battery defense attorneys can successfully defend you. Whether you are charged with a felony or misdemeanor, a battery charge can upend your life. We understand how to get your best result and protect your future.
What is Battery in Wisconsin?
Assault and battery (called battery in Wisconsin) is the intentional infliction of physical harm or pain on another without consent. A battery can be charged as a felony or as a misdemeanor depending on the circumstances.
- Substantial battery and aggravated battery are both felony offenses. They involves some kind of injury to the alleged victim, such as stitches, a broken bone, or the loss of consciousness. Aggravated battery involves the use of a dangerous weapon.
- Misdemeanor battery can involve the same conduct but without a permanent or lasting injury.
- Battery to a police officer or healthcare worker can be charged as a felony even without an identified injury.
What are Defenses to Battery Charges?
Often times an experienced battery defense lawyer can negotiate the charges to a lesser charge to avoid more serious consequences. It is critical for your attorney to understand your side of the story, investigate your case by interviewing any available witnesses, and to persuasively present those facts. There are defenses to these charges.We have successfully defended countless clients by showing:
- Self-defense: Under 939.48, a person is privileged to use reasonable force for the purpose of preventing or terminating what the person reasonably believes to be an unlawful interference with his or her person. Self-defense hinges on showing who the primary aggressor was. A successful claim of self-defense requires us to show that our client reasonably believed he or she was in danger and used reasonable force in response.
- Misidentification: sometimes the police just arrest the wrong person.
- A lack of evidence, particularly medical records, to show that the person actually suffered a specific injury because of our client’s actions.
- False accusations: sometimes these situations involve a false accusation, a flat out lie that our clients did something wrong.
But even when the state has enough proof for a conviction, an experienced battery defense attorney can get charges dismissed or reduced. In fact, if you don’t have a criminal record we can often times negotiate an agreement to avoid a criminal conviction.Rick Coad is a Madison, WI criminal defense lawyer who is skilled at defending substantial battery, aggravated battery, and misdemeanor battery cases. Contact him for a free consultation.
Attorney Rick Coad is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and defends people charged with misdemeanor or felony battery throughout the state, including: Dane County, Columbia County, Jefferson County, Sauk County, Dodge County, Iowa County, Green County, Rock County, Waukesha County, Fond du Lac County, Richland County, Juneau County and many others.