Assaults can become very serious crimes and often have a variety of collateral consequences. You may be surprised to learn that an assault conviction does not require any physical contact or harm at all. You can read about these “fear-based” assaults here.

Consequences and hardships involved with an assault allegation or conviction include: 

• No contact and stay-away orders. These can prevent you from returning home, to work, or to school, depending on who the alleged victim is, or otherwise seriously disrupt your life.  

• Immigration consequences. Assaults are more likely than some other crimes to be found to be “crimes involving moral turpitude” or “aggravated felonies”, which can have serious immigration consequences, up to and including deportation.  

• Firearm rights. Certain felony and gross misdemeanor assaults can result in the loss of your right to bear arms for anywhere from three years up to a lifetime ban.  

• Employment. If you work in a professionally licensed industry, even mere allegations of assault could trigger an investigation and even loss of license. 

• Imprisonment. Assaults can be charged as misdemeanors with a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail or as very serious felonies punishable by up to 30 years in prison, depending on the circumstances. Read more about the five degrees of assaults here.