North Las Vegas Man Gets Probation for Pushing Wife Off Cliff
This week a man initially charged with attempted murder for shoving his spouse off a cliff into Lake Mohave pleaded guilty to the Nevada crime of assault as part of a plea bargain. As part of his misdemeanor sentence, he will be on probation and is restricted from going back to Lake Mohave. His spouse survived the fall.
The Nevada crime of assault is when someone deliberately puts someone else in apprehension of immediate physical harm or touching. In other words, assault is an attempted battery. It's not required that the defendant ever touch or hurt the victim for it to qualify as assault. But the victim has to be aware of the assault--it's not possible to assault an unconscious or sleeping victim.
Penalties for committing the Nevada crime of assault depend on several factors, including whether the defendant used a deadly weapon, whether the defendant was a prisoner or parolee, and whether the victim was part of a protected class (such as a cop). If none of those circumstances apply, then assault is a misdemeanor carrying a maximum of six months in jail. If all of those circumstances apply, then it's a category B felony carrying a maximum six years in jail.
For more on this story go to: http://www.lvrj.com/news/man-gets-five-years-probation-after-pushing-wife-off-cliff-into-lake-mohave-133932338.html
To learn more about the Nevada crimes of assault and battery, watch our informational video: