A woman from another state is being charged with Assault on an elderly person after repeatedly slapping her grandmother. What caused this grandmother / granddaughter issue? Well, grandma would not accept her granddaughter’s Facebook friend request. Apparently the conversation got heated when granddaughter confronted her grandmother about the Facebook snub. The woman was arrested for felony Assault.
Assault Against At – Risk Elder in Greeley
Colorado law has designated anyone 70 years old or older as an at risk elder. This means in Greeley, Windsor and Evans, any crime committed against an at-risk elder has more severe penalties because victims in this age group are considered more vulnerable.
For this case, no deadly weapons were used and the injuries sustained were not serious, so the granddaughter would probably be charged with Third Degree Assault on an At-Risk Victim. Usually 3rd Degree Assault is a class 1 misdemeanor. However, when it is committed against an at-risk elder, it becomes a class 6 felony. Now this woman is facing a felony charge for a Facebook squabble.
This step up in severity of classification for this crime involving At Risk Elders and other at risk victims is not limited to just misdemeanor Assault. Other crimes are stepped up:
- Unlawful Sexual Contact class 1 misdemeanor becomes a class 6 felony
- Robbery class 4 felony becomes a class 3 felony
- Theft (Under $500) class 2 misdemeanor becomes a class 5 felony
Elders are not the only people who are considered at – risk. Adults and juveniles with disabilities are also in the ‘at-risk’ category.
The experienced criminal defense lawyers at the O’Malley Law Office have been successful in these cases by getting involved early. We have been practicing for over 20 years in Weld, Morgan and Logan County and our attorneys care for you and your circumstances. We will not rest until a solid defense is before your judge and jury.
If you or someone you love has been accused of a crime against an at – risk person, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent and contact an experienced criminal defense attorney from the O’Malley Law Office at (970) 616-6009. Together, we can protect your future.
Image Credit: Pixabay – Simon