Pointing a Firearm: This is the most common criminal charge for someone attempting to defend themselves against the threat of physical violence.

Criminal Confinement & Strangulation: Criminal confinement and strangulation are often charged along with domestic violence. The same strategies and defenses available to a charge of domestic violence are likely applicable to charges of criminal confinement and strangulation.

Battery: Battery starts as a B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail. Depending on the circumstances, the charge can jump as high as a Level 1 Felony, punishable by up to 40 years in jail. Battery is one of the hardest crimes for the state to prove, as there is rarely a police officer witness to the altercation.

Domestic Battery: In addition to the social stigma, those charged with domestic battery have to deal with a wide range of consequences, including child support and the ability to own a gun. These cases are tough for the state to prove. Read more about domestic violence by clicking here.

Resisting Law Enforcement & Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer: Police tend to assert these charges whenever possible, which is to say they are some of the most overcharged crimes in the state of Indiana. The most egregious example ever witnessed by the attorneys at the Marc Lopez Law Firm involved an officer tripping a suspect in order to arrest him; the officer then claimed injury to himself as a result of the leg sweep he performed on the defendant. With the rising use of police body cams, as well as the fact that pretty much all bystanders now have the potential to be amateur documentary filmmakers, charges like these are thankfully becoming less common.