An assault is the act of threatening someone
with intent to harm them. Battery is considered
the physical act of harming someone. However,
there has been a loose interchange with the term
so as that most consider an assault to be battery.
Depending on the amount of harm done to an individual
and the laws in the state, punching, kicking,
hitting, slapping, etc. are considered to be simple
assault or battery if the offense does not inflict
great bodily harm.
Simple assault and battery cases often provide
for a suspended sentence with an anger management
program or some other form of diversion program.
If the offender has a record of violence or a criminal
history, the court may find that a jail sentence
is justified. The sentence may fall any where from
one day to one year in jail. The courts have been
notably been sentencing those involved with domestic
violence to family counseling as well as the diversion
programs.
We recommended that you speak to a lawyer
if you have an assault and battery charge that
you need to defend in court. The laws in each
state are different and require a competent criminal
lawyer who is familiar with how to handle
your case regarding those specific Indiana laws.