A criminal offense consisting of offensive or harmful physical contact.
Questions tagged [battery]
32 questions
30
votes
3 answers
Why does the victim have to press charges?
Case in point that was in the news:
"BART identifies man in viral video of racist attack on train", East Bay Times
A California man attacked a stranger while expressing his hatred of the victim's ethnicity.
Everything was caught on video. It seems…
MWB
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Is it legal to ask to be shot?
Say I ask someone to shoot me non lethally. Not assisted suicide, Just shot. Is this legal? Isn't it like asking to be assaulted with a deadly weapon?
user31975
17
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1 answer
Can I defend myself from excessive police force?
Hypothetical situation:
Say the police are chasing me. I get tackled after which I go limp and stop resisting. Subsequently the officer starts throwing elbows to my face. I'm not sure why he's hitting me (...maybe he or his partner got hurt in…
Pat W.
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1 answer
Why can security guards/bar bouncers physically remove a person and it's not considered battery?
This is a follow up to this question about when someone can use force on another person. Are security guards or bouncers, such as at a concert or night club, given special privileges since they work at the venue?
Let's say there's a drunk person or…
FunFacts12
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7
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3 answers
If I wear a shirt that says "punch me, I need to feel alive", and someone punches me, are they still liable?
Today I learned that there actually are shirts which ask others to hit you.
If I wear one of those shirts, and someone actually hits me, are they still liable? I'd guess that they are, but can they argue that my shirt limits their liability?
I have…
Allure
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6
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3 answers
When can punching be legal?
My neighbor kissed my wife. I was pissed and wanted to punch him in his face. But I was able to suppress my anger.
If I did punch him, would that be okay? I saw people punch one another over this in movies. Kissing my wife is adultery right?
Stan
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What is the status of mutual combat in the USA?
Curious because I see posted sometimes (on various sites, as a 'fun fact') that there exist jurisdictions (e.g. Seattle, WA) where if both parties agree beforehand to 'mutual combat' then neither party can be tried for battery.
To what extent is…
Shazamo Morebucks
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5
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3 answers
When can someone who's not a police officer use physical force?
When can a civilian use physical force on someone? Are there any other times besides in self defence? Is it legal to use physical force in the event of an emergency, for example if you shove someone out of the way of a car and they end up falling…
FunFacts12
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5
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Legal action that can be taken by nannies?
If the child being watched (9-10 years old) by a nanny frequently physically attacks the nanny, sometimes causing severe pain, can the nanny take any form of legal action? The nanny in question is a fully legal citizen of United States.
Jenna Maiz
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4
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Did Zoey Tur assault Ben Shapiro?
Alleged Facts
On this video (at time marker 5:32-5:36), Ben Shapiro alleges Zoey Tur committed the crime/s (and/or tort/s) of assault and/or battery against Shapiro.
(I believe) the incident occurred in California.
Shapiro filed a police report and…
Alexanne Senger
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4
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How can I tell what is meant by "assault", as opposed to "battery"?
In English law, I'm struggling to find a consistent definition of "assault", or at least, a way to decide what definition to apply:
Sometimes it appears to mean "to intentionally or recklessly cause another person to apprehend immediate and…
JBentley
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3
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1 answer
Is it illegal to throw water or soda on people?
Yesterday, some guy took a diner's soda and threw it on him for wearing a political hat. Is that considered a crime, or is it ok to throw liquids on people? I know that protesters used to throw pies at politicians in Europe.
UPDATE
Update,…
Cicero
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2
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1 answer
Will Smith physically assaulted Chris Rock at an awards ceremony. No charges pressed by Rock. Can someone else?
I understand that, live on television, the actor Will Smith physically assaulted the comedian Chris Rock in response to a joke about Smith's wife. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-60897004
Rock is not pressing charges.
In US law, would it…
chasly - supports Monica
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Is dry humping sexual assault?
Can fully-clothed dry-humping someone without consent count as rape?
And if not, what sort of offense is it? If found guilty, what would a typical punishment be in the US?
Does it matter whether the victim is under-aged?
Does it matter if the…
Jed
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2
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1 answer
Trying to find definitions for "bodily harm" and "Great bodily harm" in Florida law
I'm researching Chapter 784 in the Florida State laws. The problem I'm having is there's no general "terms and definitions" at the top like there are in other chapters. I searched to see if there was a "terms and definitions" from another chapter…
Alan
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