CRIMES AGAINST THE PERSON
Protecting You and Your Rights
There are a number of what are called “crimes against the person.” These are crimes that usually involve hurting or threatening to hurt another person. Crimes against the person include:
- Kidnapping
- Simple Assault
- Aggravated Assault
- Simple Battery
- Aggravated Battery
- Homicide
If you are charged with a crime or think you might be, it is in your best interest to hire an attorney who can protect your rights.
Kidnapping
Kidnapping is taking a person and holding them against their will. Basic kidnapping is punishable by 10-20 years in prison. If the person is kidnapped for ransom or if the kidnapped person is injured, the punishment is life imprisonment.
Simple Assault
Simple assault is:
- An attempt to violently injure another person, or
- An act that makes another person fear immediate violent injury.
Simple assault is a misdemeanor, and the punishment is incarceration in a local correctional facility for up to 12 months and/or a fine of up to $1000.
Aggravated Assault
Aggravated assault is assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to murder, rape or rob another person. The general punishment for aggravated assault in Georgia is 1-20 years in prison. If the victim is 65 years old or over, the punishment is 3-20 years in prison. If the victim is a police officer, the punishment is 5-20 years in prison.
Simple Battery
Simple battery is:
- Physically harming another person intentionally, or
- Making physical contact in an insulting or provoking nature.
Simple battery is a misdemeanor, and the punishment is incarceration in a local correctional facility for up to 12 months and/or a fine of up to $1000.
Aggravated Battery
Aggravated battery is harming another person on purpose and:
- Depriving them of part of their body,
- Rendering part of their body useless, or
- Seriously disfiguring their body.
The general punishment for aggravated assault is 1-20 years in prison. If the victim is 65 years old or over, the punishment is 3-20 years in prison. If the victim is a police officer, the punishment is 5-20 years in prison.
Homicide
Homicide is when a person kills or causes the death of another human being. There are different types of homicide. These are:
- Murder – Murder is a homicide that was planned. The punishment for murder in Georgia is death or life imprisonment.
- Felony Murder – Felony murder is when a homicide happens while committing a felony like armed robbery or rape. The punishment for felony murder in Georgia is death or life imprisonment.
- Voluntary Manslaughter – Voluntary manslaughter is when one person kills another in the “heat of passion.” The killer must have been provoked to the point where any reasonable person would have lost self-control. The punishment for voluntary manslaughter in Georgia is 1-20 years in prison.
- Involuntary Manslaughter – There are two categories of involuntary manslaughter:
- When one person accidentally kills another while committing a misdemeanor crime. The punishment for this is 1-10 years in prison.
- When a person is killed because of another person’s criminal negligence, this is a misdemeanor. The punishment is incarceration in a local correctional facility for up to 12 months and/or a fine of up to $1000.