When you say you were charged, it is not clear what stage your case is in. Were you arrested or did you receive a summons in the mail to appear at a show cause hearing? Did you go to court for an arraignment? Regardless, the first thing you should do is hire an attorney. If you cannot afford a lawyer and your income is low enough, you may qualify for an appointed counsel. If so, counsel will be appointed at arraignment. Simple assault and battery (G.L. chapter 265, sec 13A(a)) is a misdemeanor in Massachusetts. The maximum punishment is imprisonment for not more than 2 1/2 years in a house of correction or by a fine of not more than $1,000. That said, depending on the specific facts of your case, if this is your first offense, there are no injuries involved, and no weapons were used, you should not expect to serve any jail time. You will likely get a disposition that will include probation and eventual dismissal of the case if probation is completed successfully. Your attorney, however, after analyzing the evidence and discussing the case with a prosecutor, will be in a much better position to advise you on likely outcomes.
Answered on Dec 05th, 2012 at 3:50 PM