Q: By law in Oregon.Do I have preceed a civil suit against my best friend for shoveing me and leaving bruises?
I don't want him in jail or fined.
A: Your question is a bit confusing. You have no legal obligation to report anything to the Police if you do not wish to. Once reported however, control of the matter is out of your hands and the district attorney will decide whether they wish to proceed with criminal charges (though they may have trouble proving their case without your cooperation and testimony, though they are used to domestic violence victims becoming non-cooperative and not wanting to testify). Jail and/or fine is, of course, a potential penalty in a criminal case. You, however, refer to a civil suit rather than criminal. Depending upon the exact facts, you may indeed have grounds to sue your friend civilly for damages arising out of your being assaulted or battered. If you did, and you won, you would get a money judgment against him which you would then have to collect on your own, be it by his voluntarily paying you or by your garnishing his wages or bank account(s), or by having the Sheriff seize and levy upon his personal property. Hope this helps.
1 user found this answer helpful
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
