What Is Aggravated Assault?

Aggravated assault is a felony under Tennessee Law. Aggravated assault is the use or display of a weapon or something that results in serious bodily injury. You can go to jail for 3 - 15 years for an aggravated assault. That is a range of punishment based upon your prior record. If you've had no prior arrest, the range of punishment is 3 - 5 years. Probation is an option for aggravated assault cases. If there is some significant bodily injury, the DA (District Attorney's) office may want jail time, that would be up to the judge to decide that. So jail time is a possibility. In most cases, it's not. Aggravated assault must have certain elements such as the use or display of the weapon, or serious bodily injury, or strangulation. Assault is more or less a pushing, a shoving, a punch, a grabbing -- something like that. Aggravated assaults can be expunged, again, if you have had no prior record.