In Fort Collins and Larimer County, Third Degree Assault is an easily charged crime. Anytime someone has unwanted physical contact with another and the contact caused pain, then 3rd Degree Assault is charged. Pain is the key in this crime. There doesn’t need to be any proof of pain other than a person’s statements saying it hurt.
Larimer County Assault in the Third Degree Defense Attorney: How is Third Degree Assault Charged in Colorado
The Larimer County, Colorado law definition of Assault in the Third Degree – C.R.S. 18-3-204 – is:
(a) The person knowingly or recklessly causes bodily injury to another person or with criminal negligence the person causes bodily injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon; or
(b) The person, with intent to harass, annoy, threaten, or alarm another person whom the actor knows or reasonably should know to be a peace officer, a firefighter, an emergency medical care provider, or an emergency medical service provider, causes the other person to come into contact with blood, seminal fluid, urine, feces, saliva, mucus, vomit, or toxic, caustic, or hazardous material by any means, including throwing, tossing, or expelling the fluid or material.
The most common 3rd Degree assault charges are charged under subsection (a). This could be the result of an argument between a boyfriend and girlfriend where the boyfriend pushed his girlfriend out of the way we he was trying to leave. She hits her back against the wall and tell Fort Collins police that it hurt.
Loveland 3rd Degree Assault Attorney: How is Bodily Injury Defined in Colorado Law?
In Loveland and across Larimer County, bodily injury is defined as:
It could be as small as breaking a nail to something more significant like a hit that leaves a significant bruise.
Penalty for Third Degree Assault in Colorado
Assault in the Third Degree is a class 1 misdemeanor in Colorado. This level misdemeanor is punishable by up to 364 days in the Larimer County Jail along with fines and fees assessed by the Court.