Aggravated Assault in Washington, D.C.

As one of the most serious form of assault, aggravated assault is a felony offense in Washington, D.C.

There are two ways for the prosecution to prove aggravated assault.  The first way is for the prosecution to prove that the person (1) knowingly or purposely (2) caused serious bodily injury to another person.  Alternatively, the prosecution can show that the person (1) under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life (2) intentionally or knowingly (3) engaged in conduct which created a grave risk of serious bodily injury to another and (4) through this conduct actually caused serious bodily injury.

“Serious bodily injury” is defined as “bodily injury that involves a substantial risk of death, unconsciousness, extreme physical pain, protracted or obvious disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty.”

Attempted aggravated assault is defined as intending to commit aggravated assault while taking a substantial step towards accomplishing that goal.

Aggravated assault is a felony offense.  The penalty is a maximum fine of $10,000 and/or imprisonment for up to 10 years. D.C. Criminal Code 22-404.01.  The penalty for attempted aggravated assault is a maximum fine of $5,000 and/or imprisonment for up to 5 years.