One of the two women suspected of using a baseball bat in a road rage incident near Fort Lauderdale has been taken into custody by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. The 22-year-old woman has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon which is a second degree felony under Florida law. The second attacker is believed to be the woman’s sister. She remains at large.
The female victim reported that she accidentally cut the two off in traffic. She told sheriff’s deputies that when the other driver and her sister began yelling at her, she pulled into a parking lot in Lauderdale Lakes for her safety. When the other women followed her and blocked her in, she exited her vehicle and called 911. Then she began recording the encounter on her cell phone. That’s when she was hit with both metal and wooden baseball bats. The victim suffered a fractured nose from a blow to the face. The two women with the bats left the scene before deputies arrived. The victim remarked that in retrospect, she should have stayed in her car.
A person can be charged with aggravated battery in Florida if he or she intentionally causes great bodily harm, disability or disfigurement while using a deadly weapon in the commission of a battery. Fort Lauderdale criminal lawyer Kenneth Hassett advises that a second degree felony in Florida is punishable by 15 years in prison or 15 years of probation. A fine not to exceed $10,000 can also be imposed. Given the nature of the charge, the woman in custody will need an experienced and effective defense attorney. Once in custody, the second woman will likely face an identical charge.
The prosecution must prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Fort Lauderdale aggravated battery defense lawyer Kenneth Hassett has over 25 years of experience in criminal defense. He has been successful in raising reasonable doubt in countless cases. If you or somebody close to you has been charged with aggravated battery or a similar offense, contact Hassett & Associates P.A. at 954-791-3939. You can arrange for a free consultation and case review. Kenneth Kassett is a respected, knowledgeable and aggressive Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorney who thoroughly prepares each and every criminal case that he’s retained on.
