Fort Worth, TX asked in Civil Rights, Constitutional Law and Criminal Law for Colorado

Q: If I get into a fist fight with my girlfriends brother in their parents house, what happens if police get called?

1 Lawyer Answer

A: Unless you are acting in self defense (acting reasonably against an imminent threat of injury to you or another) and did not provoke the fight, you could be charged with a wide range of offenses, depending on the severity of any injuries inflicted. A simple shove or push that does not cause pain could result in a misdemeanor harassment charge, a shove, push, punch, or something similar that causes pain could result in a misdemeanor assault charge, and anything that results in a more serious injury (like a missing tooth, broken nose or jaw) would be a felony assault charge. Using a weapon could also result in more serious charges.

If you are charged, you will likely be arrested and have to post a bond.

Even a misdemeanor assault charge resulting from a simple fist fight can carry significant jail time and is very easy to accidentally inflict an injury like a broken nose that will result in a felony charge.Unless you are in a situation where physical force is truly necessary in self-defense, best to avoid trading blows.

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