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Fairfax Malicious Wounding Lawyer

Malicious wounding can be defined as the intentional, unprovoked wounding of another with intent to maim, disable, disfigure, or kill. Virginia takes malicious wounding crimes very seriously, as this act can result in decades in prison as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. If you have been charged with malicious wounding, consider reaching out to a Fairfax malicious wounding lawyer to review the charges against you. An experienced criminal defense attorney can determine what legal options you may have available to you so that you can make an informed decision about what is best for your case.

How Does Virginia Define Malicious Wounding?

According to Virginia Statute Sec. 18.2-51, the crime of malicious wounding occurs when someone maliciously or unlawfully shoots, stabs, cuts, wounds, or causes bodily injury to another person with the intent to maim, disable, disfigure, or kill them. There are four separate crimes of malicious wounding under this statute, including the following: malicious wounding, maliciously causing bodily injury, unlawful wounding, and unlawfully causing bodily injury. In addition to these crimes, Virginia law also recognizes aggravated and attempted malicious wounding and unlawful wounding crimes – as well as malicious wounding or unlawful wounding of law enforcement officers (including firefighters, search and rescue personnel, and emergency services personnel) and pregnant women by acid, explosives, fire, tear gas, biological substances, and radiological agents.

Unprovoked Criminal Offenses

Malicious wounding is the intentional, unprovoked wounding of another person with intent to maim, disable, disfigure, or kill. To obtain a conviction, the Commonwealth of Virginia must prove that a wounding occurred and that the perpetrator had the requisite intent to produce a permanent condition.

Maliciously causing bodily injury is the intentional, unprovoked causing of bodily injury with intent to maim, disable, disfigure or kill, resulting in a permanent condition. To obtain a conviction, the Commonwealth of Virginia must prove that actual bodily injury occurred and that the perpetrator had the requisite intent to produce a permanent condition.

Malicious wounding and maliciously causing bodily injury are Class 3 felonies which can result in serving between five and 20 years in prison as well as fines of up to $100,000.

Provoked Criminal Offenses

Unlawful wounding is the intentional, but provoked wounding of another with intent to cause a permanent condition by maiming, disfiguring, disabling or killing. To obtain a conviction, the Commonwealth of Virginia must prove that a wounding occurred and that the perpetrator had the requisite intent to produce a permanent condition.

Unlawfully causing bodily injury is the intentional, but provoked intent to cause a bodily injury by maiming, disabling, disfiguring or killing and cause a permanent condition. To obtain a conviction, the Commonwealth of Virginia must prove that actual bodily injury occurred and that the perpetrator had the requisite intent to produce a permanent condition.

These lesser charges of unlawful wounding or unlawful bodily injury are generally considered Class 6 felonies which can result in serving up to five years in prison as well as fines of up to $2,500.

Benefits of Obtaining a Fairfax Malicious Wounding Attorney

If you have been charged with malicious wounding, know that you do not have to face these charges alone. Reaching out to an experienced Fairfax malicious wounding lawyer first will give you guidance on how to review the facts and circumstances behind the incident to determine whether those charges are valid, and if so, what legal defenses apply to your situation. Contact a Fairfax malicious wounding attorney today for aggressive advocacy on your behalf.

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