Assault charges come in varying degrees and encompass the committal of injury to another person or the threat of damage to another. You can be the victim of assault without being physically harmed.
Regardless, it’s essential to press charges whenever you can so law enforcement knows about the threats or acts being committed against you. This provides them with the ability to act before the situation escalates.
The following article will examine the six steps you must take. Let’s begin.
Document
The first thing you need to do when pressing charges is to write down everything you remember about the offensive contact. Think about your time, location, and interactions with the individual(s) before their act.
Being assaulted is traumatic. However, if you pause for a moment and reflect, you start to feel yourself regaining control of the situation, which will help when it’s time to approach the police.
Gather
One natural byproduct of documenting the events is that you will remember everyone present during your physical injury. Gather a list of names.
Anyone associated with the attack who can corroborate your story, at least in part. The police will want to speak with them.
Go to the Police
There are more ways to approach the police with a report. Many jurisdictions allow you to do it online or through your phone. If you plan on pressing charges, you’ve got to get the accusations into an official document. You also should drive to the police department physically or see about submitting a report by phone.
Get a Copy of the Report
Filing assault charges is immediate, but it could take longer for the police to finish the report. Standards vary by department, but you can usually get your police report within three days.
The responding officer will provide you with a call-for-service number immediately. Just keep checking back with the department for that report and make sure the CFS number stays handy.
Watch for More Evidence
Some assault details might come back to you after submitting the initial report. No problem! You can always add those details to the information at a later date.
An officer or detective will supplement that to the case file. Before heading to the prosecutor, request a copy of all reports, including the initial incident report and accessories. These are typically available through your state’s “Freedom of Information Act.”
Involve the Prosecutor
At some point, the prosecutor will get involved. The police themselves may do it if there exists enough evidence that the assault did occur and that you were the victim of it. This is reserved for more severe forms of assault, like family member assault (domestic assault), where enough evidence exists on the scene to warrant an arrest.
Lower-level assaults that were not commissioned before the officer and cannot be easily proven can still be taken to the prosecutor. You may have to contact the prosecutor yourself and seek a warrant. The prosecutor will also be able to guide you in seeking a restraining order.
Assault Charges Can Shake You and Leave You Feeling Unsafe
If you’re the victim of assault charges, you could feel insecure in your home. Don’t let the fear win.
Take it one step at a time using the above instructions. For more legal information and articles, check out our other posts!
