Visiting a New Jersey casino can sometimes generate unpleasant interactions with others. You may bump into someone who is drunk and aggressive. Someone could crash into you from behind, resulting in a bad throw of the dice. You might even suspect that someone had their spouse sneak up behind you to peek at your cards during a game of poker or blackjack.
Unfortunately, those social interactions can sometimes lead to assault charges. You could wind up charged with assault for causing bodily harm to someone else, putting your hands on them inappropriately or even just making someone fear for their safety through aggressive body language and speech.
How does New Jersey charge assault offenses?
Both the intent of the individuals involved and the outcome of the altercation will influence how the courts here in New Jersey prosecute those who get into a fight. Most people who get into public arguments or physical fights in a casino will face simple assault charges, i.e., disorderly persons charges. If both people involved in the altercation shared responsibility for it, the state may even downgrade the offense to a petty disorderly persons offense.
However, in circumstances where one person clearly provoked or attacked the other or in a situation where one party wound up severely hurt or when there are allegations involving a potentially deadly weapon, the state may bring aggravated assault charges against one or more people involved in the altercation.
Pleading guilty could mean having a violent criminal charge on your record, which could impact many aspects of your life from the ability to go back to college to what jobs and housing you can secure in the future.