According to the FBI’s UCR – Uniform Crime Reporting Program, an aggravated assault is an unlawful attack from one person to another, where the infliction of bodily injury occurs. The crimes of assault and battery and aggravated assault are punished differently depending on the surrounding circumstances.
Any crime that involves a physical threat to an individual is classified as an assault. Depending on its severity, the crime can rise to the level of aggravated assault.
Types of Assault
There are several types of assault, below we will explain the differences between simple, aggravated and felony assault.
Simple Assault
Simple assault is the lowest degree type of assault that can occur to anybody and doesn’t involve the presence of a weapon during the act. Simple assault can arise from a threat or an attempt to inflict physical injury or harm to an individual.
Examples of simple assault include:
- Throwing rocks at your neighbors.
- Threatening to smack someone.
- Raising your fists at someone.
- Slapping a person.
Aggravated Assault
Aggravated assault is the most severe type of assault and involves an attack with some sort of deadly weapon, such as a gun, knife, or bat. The attacker usually has the intention to seriously injure or kill the victim, which results in an aggravated assault charge.
Examples of aggravated assault include:
- Causing serious bodily injury to a person.
- An attempt to commit a murder.
- Poisoning.
- Mayhem.
Felony Assault
A felony assault is the most serious form of aggravated assault and involves a severe bodily injury that poses a life-threatening condition to the victim. Felony aggravated assault has three core components:
- An intent to cause an injury.
- An actual physical injury.
- Use of a deadly weapon.
Common Bail Amounts for Assault
A simple assault often sees bail set in the range of $1,000 to $2,500. Bail amounts can rise to a range of $2,500 to $5,000 for a crime committed against an institutionalized person.
The bail amount for aggravated assault ranges anywhere between $20,000 to $50,000, depending on the state in which it was committed.
The Bail Schedule
The bail amount is determined on a bail schedule, by a judge in court. The judge has the flexibility of lowering or increasing the total bail amount after considering the type of the crime, additional circumstances, the contributing crime factors, the severity of the crime, the defendant’s criminal background, etc.
If you have a total bail amount that is higher than what you can afford to pay, consider using a local, reputable bail bond agent. A bail bond agent will post bond on your behalf in exchange for a nonrefundable fee that is equal to 10% of the total bail amount. Use our bail bond calculator to determine the amount you’ll need to pay a bail bond agent to post bond on your behalf.
Contact a Bail Bond Agency
If you, a family member, or someone you know has been arrested for aggravated assault and needs help getting out of jail, reach out to a bail bond company immediately.
Regardless of the type of assault you’ve been accused of committing, consider also reaching out to a defense lawyer who will help you navigate your next steps and advise you on the correct legal process. Make sure to reach out as soon as possible since certain statute limitations might apply throughout the trial process.