Hire a Trusted Assault Lawyer to Defend You
If you or a loved one has been charged with assault, it’s a serious situation. You need to work with a skilled criminal defense attorney experienced in assault cases. Consult with a Harford County assault lawyer skilled in criminal law now by calling 410-838-5041. We’ll review the facts of your case and determine how we can help.
First and second-degree assault charges most frequently result from a dispute or altercation. In these cases, law enforcement officers sometimes have difficulty identifying the true victim due to conflicting versions of events and the varying degrees of injuries. The person they arrest may not be the one who started the altercation and may have been acting in self-defense.
Police don’t necessarily know what led to the dispute. So, they make an arrest based on their best judgment in evaluating conflicting stories by the involved parties and witnesses, if any. If you have been charged with assault, your first step in protecting your freedom and your record is consulting an assault lawyer experienced in these types of cases.
Types of Assault Charges in Maryland
There are two types of assault charges in Maryland: first-degree and second-degree.
Second-degree assault can include intentional physical contact without the consent of the victim but can also include the physical threat of contact or assault. If convicted, you could face up to 10 years in prison.
For example, if you swung a fist, baseball bat, or heavy object at someone, making them afraid for their safety, you could be charged with second-degree assault even if you didn’t make contact.
First-degree assault includes assault that involves a weapon, serious injury, or attempted serious injury to the victim. A first-degree assault charge is a felony. If convicted, you could face up to 25 years in prison.
Any assault involving a firearm is an automatic first-degree assault, even if the weapon wasn’t fired. The Maryland criminal code defines a firearm as any one of the following:
Handguns
Shotgun or short-barreled shotgun
Rifle or short-barreled rifle
Assault pistol
Semi-automatic and automatic firearms
3-D-printed guns
And, if you possess the gun illegally, you would face firearms charges in addition to the assault charge(s).
Building a Defense
The first step in building a defense is finding the right assault lawyer experienced in the criminal defense of assault cases. There are several possible outcomes of your case, and the end result will depend on several factors.
The outcomes include:
Your case is dismissed.
You plead guilty to a lesser charge.
You plead guilty to the original charges.
We take your case in front of a jury.
In building your defense, a good criminal defense attorney will examine all of the evidence in the case, interview you and witnesses, and seek to poke holes in the case against you. If your attorney finds that the case against you is weak, they may be able to get your case dismissed or arrange a plea to a lesser charge.
Most assault cases never make it to trial. But if yours does go to trial, rest assured that Timothy A. Cook has the trial experience needed to put up a vigorous defense.
What Some of Our Clients Are Saying
Building a Defense
Mr. Tim Cook is an extremely professional and dedicated man at what he does, I cannot stress this enough he is who you need to call when you get into any trouble! He was extremely helpful, explained everything step by step, and made everything easy to understand. He’s a great character to be around and he’s passionate in his field, he knows the ins and outs of It all! I recommend him 100%, he was referred to me by another lawyer and I had a great experience. Thank you so much, my family and I are forever grateful for what you have done for us! He is the one to call! -Francisco M.
Tim is a great, reliable lawyer. Whenever I had a question he was responsive; whether it was on a phone call or email. Also, he was transparent throughout the entire process and I felt like he had my back the entire time.
He told me the good, bad, and ugly outcomes of the case. Which helps a lot because then you know what to expect and you do not feel blindsided by ANYTHING.
I highly recommend Tim Cook if you need his services. -Bryce M.
Get a Free Consultation
If you or a loved one was injured in a bicycle accident and would like to talk about your case, please call The Law Offices of Timothy A. Cook for a free consultation at 410-838-5041 or contact us below.