Walk It Through: The Fight Outside the Bar
A shove, a punch back, a crowd yelling, and three different charges that could follow.
Outside a bar, a stranger shoves a man and raises a fist.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
A bar fight with a minor injury and no weapons. Serious bodily injury, a weapon, and the intruder section for a home are left out.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- Use of deadly physical force against an intruderAn occupant of a dwelling may use any degree of force against a person who made an unlawful entry, where the occupant reasonably believes the intruder committed or intends a crime beyond the entry and might use any physical force against an occupant.
- Class 1 misdemeanorThe higher of the two misdemeanor classes: up to 364 days in jail, not more than a one thousand dollar fine, or both, for an offense on or after March 1, 2022.
- Petty offenseThe lowest level of offense: a fine of not more than $300, up to ten days in a county jail, or both, for an offense on or after March 1, 2022.