Assault & Battery

Peoria, Illinois, Assault & Battery Lawyer

I am Arthur J. Inman, a criminal defense attorney in Peoria, Illinois. I represent people charged with assault and battery throughout Illinois, including the counties of Woodford, Marshall, McDonough, and Tazewell, and the cities and surrounding areas of Springfield, Decatur, Bloomington, Galesburg, Rock Island, and Macomb.

Under Illinois law, battery is the infliction of bodily injury or unauthorized vile physical contact on another person, while assault is placing a person in reasonable fear of receiving a battery. Battery can range from the blow of a fist, to the use of any instrument that can cause bodily harm. In fact, if great bodily harm is caused with, or without, the use of a weapon such as a gun or a knife, the charge can be elevated to aggravated battery, which is a felony charge.

Assault and battery are serious charges, especially if they occur in a public place, such as a bar. For instance, battery which takes place in a bar may raise the level of the charge from a misdemeanor, punishable by less one year in jail, to a felony, punishable by one year or more in prison. Thus, an event as simple as a drunken bar fight may, depending upon the mindset of the alleged victim, the police, or the prosecutor, result in a felony charge, which carries a penalty of three to seven years in state prison.

As with so many other situations where a person is charged with a crime, you should not attempt to negotiate or talk about the incident with the police or the person accusing you of assault or battery. You need a lawyer, and should let your lawyer do the talking for you. Having practiced criminal law for more than 35 years—including eight spent as a prosecutor—I know how prosecutors handle assault and battery cases. I have defended a large number of these cases in state court.

Burglary charges

Illinois, in addition to the standard burglary charge, has a special kind of burglary charge known as residential burglary. This crime carries a minimum four year non-probationable sentence. Related to this charge is the crime of home invasion, which carries a six year non-probationable sentence.

If you are charged with burglary or robbery, you need a lawyer in your corner, as soon as possible, to protect your interests and to minimize or avoid any conviction.

If you are being charged with assault and/or battery, please contact me at the Law Office of Arthur J. Inman at 309-673-9711. I offer assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week.