Assault 4 DV Is Now a Felony Crime
Assault 4 DV is a common charge brought by prosecutors in Washington. It is the lowest level domestic violence assault and often minor altercations can lead to an arrest for this charge. As of July 2017, this same charge can be filed as a felony. RCW 9A.36.031 defines the charge of Assault 4 and now includes added language that says:
Assault in the fourth degree, where domestic violence was pleaded and proven after July 23, 2017, is a class C felony if the person has two or more prior adult convictions within ten years for any of the following offenses where domestic violence as defined in RCW 9.94A.030 was pleaded and proven after July 23, 2017
Those offenses are:
[custom_list style=”list-11″]
- Repetitive domestic violence offense as defined in RCW 9.94A.030
- Crime of harassment as defined by RCW 9A.46.060
- Assault in the third degree
- Assault in the second degree
- Assault in the first degree
- An out-of-state comparable offense
[/custom_list]
Now the stakes are higher for otherwise minor assaults. If you are facing a current Assault 4 DV call our office to set up a free consultation to discuss your options and come up with the best game plan for your case.