Broward DUI Lawyer Blog

A North Palm Beach woman was arrested recently and charged with aggravated battery and false imprisonment after her husband refused to pay for her cats' medical bills, The Palm Beach Post reports.

Charges involving injuries to others are typically classified as assault or battery in Florida. These charges can be felonies and can result in long prison terms if not properly defended by an experienced and aggressive West Palm Beach Criminal Defense Attorney.

According to the newspaper report, the 55-year-old woman and her husband began arguing over the cat's medical treatment, leading the woman to become increasingly angry. At one point, an arrest report states, she lunged at her husband with scissors. As the fight allegedly escalated, the woman attacked her husband with a coat hanger and eventually two kitchen knives, which she reportedly used to cut his hands and arms.

When law enforcement arrived, the husband refused medical treatment and left the house, the newspaper reports. The woman was booked into jail and released the same day.

According to Florida Statute 784.045, aggravated battery is defined as "intentionally or knowingly" causing "great bodily harm, permanent disability or permanent disfigurement," uses a deadly weapon during a battery or does the same to a person who is pregnant. The charge is punishable as a second-degree felony and up to a 15-year prison sentence.

This is one of the more serious charges a person can face in Florida because a person is typically seriously injured in cases of aggravated battery. In this case, because the husband refused medical attention, it's likely the injuries weren't that serious. But, the wife may fit the aggravated battery charges if it is proven that she used a deadly weapon (knives) and struck the husband against his will, which is the definition of battery.

Because this appears to be a domestic situation, it is likely there were no eye witnesses, so this case, and others like it, may come down to a he said/she said sort of case for the state. It's possible that the story about the medical bills is made up and that the couple was approaching a break-up and that tempers flared for that reason.

It's also possible that the woman was under some type of duress not noted in the arrest report that could have caused the outburst. Or, maybe, self-defense is applicable in cases like this. There are always avenues that must be explored when freedom is on the line. And in cases of aggravated battery or other serious felonies, an aggressive approach by a seasoned West Palm Beach Criminal Defense Attorney is critical.