Areas of Law · Forrest Good PLLC
Assault & Family Violence Defense in San Antonio
An assault or family-violence allegation can upend a life before a single fact is proven, with protective orders and a public charge arriving fast. A defense has to move just as fast.
What Is at Stake
In Texas, a person commits assault by intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causing bodily injury to another, and an assault causing bodily injury is generally a Class A misdemeanor.1 A Class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.2 The charge climbs steeply when serious bodily injury or a deadly weapon is alleged, because aggravated assault is a felony of the second degree,3 which carries a term of 2 to 20 years.4 A family-violence finding adds lasting consequences for your record, your firearm rights, and your family. An allegation is not proof, and the events almost always have two sides.
The Family-Violence Label and Self-Defense
Texas law defines “family violence” as an act by a family or household member intended to cause physical harm, or a threat that places someone in fear of imminent harm, and the statute expressly does not include defensive measures a person takes to protect themselves.5 That carve-out matters, because intimate-partner violence is widespread, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting that more than one in three women and more than one in six men experience it in their lifetimes,6 and the full context of an encounter is often what separates an accusation from what actually happened.
What to Expect
Forrest Good protects your rights from the first hours, responds to any protective order, examines the evidence and the accounts closely, and defends you with respect and resolve. A protective order is not automatic: at the close of a hearing the court must find that family violence has in fact occurred before it can issue one against you.7 You are presumed innocent, and the case is built on that footing.
- Anyone arrested for assault in Bexar County
- People named in a family-violence allegation
- Those facing or served with a protective order
- Anyone whose account of events has not yet been heard
Common Questions
What does a family-violence finding affect?
It can affect your record, your firearm rights, and related family-law matters, which is why an early, serious defense matters.
What should I do about a protective order?
Protective orders move fast. A temporary order can be issued the same day, with a hearing often set within about two weeks. Call as soon as you are served, and Forrest Good helps you respond.
It was self-defense.Does that matter?
Yes. Self-defense and the full context are central, and Forrest Good makes sure your side is presented.
Sources & Authorities
Statutes and figures on this page link to their official sources. Provided for transparency and general information, not as legal advice.
- Tex. Penal Code § 22.01, Assault (a person commits assault by intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causing bodily injury; an offense under Subsection (a)(1) is generally a Class A misdemeanor). statutes.capitol.texas.gov ↩
- Tex. Penal Code § 12.21, Class A Misdemeanor (punishment of up to one year in jail and a fine up to $4,000). statutes.capitol.texas.gov ↩
- Tex. Penal Code § 22.02, Aggravated Assault (assault that causes serious bodily injury or involves use or exhibition of a deadly weapon is a felony of the second degree). statutes.capitol.texas.gov ↩
- Tex. Penal Code § 12.33, Second Degree Felony Punishment (imprisonment for 2 to 20 years and a fine up to $10,000). statutes.capitol.texas.gov ↩
- Tex. Fam. Code § 71.004, Family Violence (defines “family violence” and expressly states it does not include defensive measures to protect oneself). statutes.capitol.texas.gov ↩
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “About Intimate Partner Violence” (more than 1 in 3 women and more than 1 in 6 men experience intimate partner violence in their lifetimes). cdc.gov ↩
- Tex. Fam. Code § 85.001, Required Findings and Orders (at the close of a hearing the court shall find whether family violence has occurred before rendering a protective order against a person). statutes.capitol.texas.gov ↩
- State Bar of Texas, Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 7.01 (communications concerning a lawyer’s services). texasbar.com ↩
King William Law Center is a shared office for independent firms. This page is attorney advertising and general information, not legal advice, and it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Forrest Good PLLC, not King William Law Center, provides the legal services described here. The practice of law in Texas is governed by the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct.8 Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.