Criminal Defense
Assault & Domestic Assault Defense in Missouri
Assault charges range from a misdemeanor to a serious felony, and a domestic allegation carries consequences that reach far beyond the courtroom.
What you are facing
How serious is an assault charge in Missouri?
Missouri divides assault into degrees, based on the seriousness of the alleged harm and the person’s state of mind. A minor incident may be a misdemeanor, while an allegation involving serious injury or a weapon can be a high-level felony. When the accuser is a family or household member, the case is charged as domestic assault, which brings added consequences.
Why a domestic charge is different
Why is a domestic assault charge different?
Orders of protection
A domestic allegation is often paired with an order of protection that can force you out of your home and away from your children and family while the case is pending.
Firearm rights
A domestic-violence conviction can affect your right to possess firearms, a consequence many people do not see coming.
The case does not belong to the accuser
Even if the person who called police wants to drop it, the State decides whether to proceed. A charge does not simply disappear because someone changes their mind.
Your record and reputation
A domestic conviction follows you into jobs, housing, and custody disputes. The stakes are higher than the immediate penalty suggests. See our full guide to domestic assault defense in Missouri.
How we defend an assault case
How do you defend an assault charge?
Self-defense
Missouri law recognizes the right to defend yourself and others. Where the facts support it, self-defense is a complete defense, not just a mitigating factor.
What really happened
Accusations are sometimes exaggerated, mistaken, or made in the heat of a divorce or custody fight. We investigate the full story, not just the police version.
Proof and the degree
We hold the State to its burden on both the act and the degree, and we push to reduce or dismiss charges that the evidence does not support.
Answers
Missouri assault questions we hear
Can assault charges be dropped if the accuser changes their mind?
Not automatically. The State decides whether to proceed, not the person who called police. A witness who no longer wants to participate can change how a case is prosecuted, but it does not make the charge disappear on its own.
Is assault a felony in Missouri?
It can be. Missouri divides assault into degrees based on the seriousness of the alleged harm and the person’s state of mind. A minor incident may be a misdemeanor, while an allegation involving serious injury or a weapon can be a high-level felony. See every degree of assault and its penalty.
How long after an assault can charges be filed in Missouri?
It depends on the degree. Under RSMo 556.036, most felony assaults must be charged within three years and misdemeanor assault within one year, while first degree assault charged as a class A felony has no time limit. If you have been contacted about an older incident, that is worth asking about directly. See Missouri’s criminal statute of limitations.
What should I do about an order of protection?
Take it seriously and get advice before the hearing. An order can force you out of your home and away from your children while the case is pending, and what happens at that hearing can affect the criminal case.
Can a domestic assault conviction affect my gun rights?
Yes. A domestic-violence conviction can affect your right to possess firearms, and it is a consequence many people do not see coming until after the case has resolved.
Is self-defense really a defense?
Yes, where the facts support it. Missouri recognises the right to defend yourself and others, and the question is usually whether the force used was reasonable in the circumstances. The investigation often captures only one side of an incident.
Where is your case? We defend assault and domestic assault charges in Jefferson City and Cole County, Columbia and Boone County, and Fulton and Callaway County. If a weapon is alleged, see armed criminal action.
Talk to us about your case
Do not let one incident define your future.
If you are facing an assault or domestic assault charge, or an order of protection, reach out. You can reach us by phone or email.
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