What Are the Penalties for Assault or Robbery in Texas?

 Posted on August 23, 2022 in Criminal Defense

Criminal charges should always be taken seriously. Even a "minor" offense can result in multiple types of penalties, and it may leave a person with a criminal record that will follow them for years or even the rest of their life. However, certain types of offenses are especially serious, and a conviction could result in significant jail time, as well as massive fines and permanent damage to a person's reputation.

Violent crimes, which involve causing bodily harm to another person, are often a top priority for law enforcement, and they include assault and robbery. Anyone accused of these offenses will want to work with a criminal defense attorney to determine their best options.

Criminal Convictions for Violent Offenses Resulting in Injury

Because violent crimes involve harm to others, those who are accused of these offenses will often face felony charges, which typically carry a minimum prison sentence of one year. The different types of violent crimes that may be charged when a person injures or harms someone else include:

• Assault - This charge may apply if a person intentionally injures someone else, causes another person to be injured through their reckless actions, threatens to injure someone, or physically contacts a person in a manner that the person considers to be offensive. An assault that results in an injury is generally charged as a Class A misdemeanor, and a person may be sentenced to up to one year in prison and fined up to $4,000. An assault charge may be elevated to a third-degree felony if the alleged victim was a police officer or other public servant, and a conviction may result in a sentence of between two and 10 years in prison and a maximum $10,000 fine. If assault was allegedly committed against a member of a person's family, and the person had previously been convicted of assault or other offenses involving family violence, they may be charged with a third degree felony, or they may be charged with a second degree felony if they allegedly choked or strangled their family member. A second-degree felony conviction may result in a sentence of two to 20 years in prison.
• Aggravated assault - If a person allegedly caused serious bodily injury (an injury that put someone at risk of death or caused disfigurement or impairment to a body part) or used or displayed a deadly weapon while committing assault, they may be charged with a second-degree felony. However, a charge may be elevated to a first-degree felony if the person committed aggravated assault against a family member and used a deadly weapon to inflict serious bodily injury. A first-degree felony conviction may result in a prison sentence of five to 99 years and a maximum fine of $10,000.
• Robbery - This offense involves theft in which a person allegedly caused another person to suffer a bodily injury, including through their intentional actions or through recklessness, as well as situations where a person knowingly caused someone else to fear that they could be seriously injured or killed. Robbery is a second-degree felony.
• Aggravated robbery - If a person allegedly caused someone to suffer a serious bodily injury or used or displayed a deadly weapon while committing robbery, they may be charged with a first-degree felony.

Contact Our Denton County Assault and Robbery Defense Lawyers

If you have been accused of a violent crime such as robbery or assault, it is important to work with an experienced criminal defense lawyer who can help you understand your legal options and protect your rights. At Magaña & Van Dyke, our Cooke County violent crime defense attorneys understand the serious nature of these charges, and we will aggressively fight to help you achieve positive results in your case. Call our office at 940-382-1976 to set up a free consultation.

Sources:

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.22.htm

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.29.htm

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.12.htm