How serious is a fist fight?
 

I was just wondering how serious a fist fight really is. Can people press charges against eachother for this kind of thing? Can you go to jail for starting a fight? I just ask because due to recent personal events, I suspect I might get into a fist fight sometime soon and I was wondering...

How liable is a person for throwing (and landing) a "simple" punch?

If you threw the punch in self-defense, would you get in trouble?

It can be either a misdemeanor or a felony. Yes, you can go to jail. If you just make a threat, it's assault. Actually do it and it'll be battery. It can be either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on how severe it is, and whether or not the person happens to be a different race/religion/sex than you. You would probably be charged with simple assault and battery (misdemeanor), and you could go to jail. I'm not a lawyer, so take this for what it's worth.

I dunno about US laws, but here you will go to jail by punching someone if they press charges, usually it's just a one nighter, but it's still on your record nevertheless.

Yeah this one too. What if he tries to clock me but I dodge and instinctively return the punch and land it?

You can't press charges against eachother, but you can charge and then press against eachother during a fight. Bit of shoulder barging, bit of yelling and spraying saliva on eachother, bit of loooooove.

You're legally entitled to defend yourself (within reason). That means if he throws a punch at you, you can throw a punch back in defense, but don't start kicking him if he falls to the floor.

As far as I understand it, yes you can be charged.

However this other guy has to actually go down to the police station and press charges against you. In the case of a simple fist fight, this probably wont happen (unless he's a massive douche and or pussy).

Personally it's the matter of fist fights escalating into knife fights that worries me more than charges being pressed.

I think if you have to ask this question, and you phrase it the way you did, that you should probably avoid anything that will lead to a fist fight. Because seriously, if the other guy isn't autistic, you're going to take an ass kicking.

I dunno about the U.S., but in here fist fights aren't that serious unless one person becomes seriously injured. That's as far as I know, since the only ones I hear who press charges are rich kids who lose in fist fights, or people who get punched by someone famous (a celebrity of some sort).

I say fight in private if you can. End it as quickly as possible too.

Fighting in private won't stop you being charged. Unless you mean some kind of an organised contest with rules, such as a Boxing match.

For the love of god, don't listen to Semper. He's widely regarded as one of the dumbest fuckers on this forum.

Seriously, if you can avoid physical violence, do so. If you can't, I suggest you run. You don't sound like the kind of cat that can handle his knuckles.

Finish it in private. Like that won't still get you charged. Grow the fuck up, fidelis.

hahahaha

It's not that I don't like to fight, I definitely stand my ground, but the kid is 2x my size so it's evident I would lose unless I had combat training. Bitter ex-boyfriend, you know? And I'd stand up for the girl if he says dumb shit even though I'd probably get decked. Just wondering if I had the law on my side incase he does anything stupid...

Isn't there some rule where if you can clearly kick the other kids ass, it could be considered attempt at murder? :twitch:

As others have said avoid fighting if possible, if not run to where there are witnesses. Once you are in front of a large group of people this idiot isn't likely to do anything

I suggest you do a simple search on the difference between self defense and fist fighting. An example is here.

If you intend on fighting this guy then you are not defending yourself, you are engaging in mutually agreed upon combat. If you run away and he chases you down and a fight occurs then you are defending yourself. If you are defending yourself then he will end up under the wrath of the law but if you engage in a fist fight and the cops are called, both of you are likely to get arrested.

You can get charged, if you start the fight. It turns serious the second someone takes a choke hold of his opponent, so don't do that and don't kick anyone who's already gotten decked, that'll definitely get you in jail.

Wait, just screw it all, avoid the fight if you can. Try and talk your way out of it and if the guy simply doesn't back off, just walk away. If he attacks you, give him everything you got, not much more you can do.

If this has anything to do with a girl and I'm guessing it does, as stated in your previous post, you should know that the girl might appreciate it if you walked out and ignored the guy. Furthermore, it's just a girl. If he wants her so bad and she's a sucker for idiots who like to get in trouble, then fine, let the moron have the trailer trash.

In regards to the law, fist fights are only as serious as the injuries inflicted. Many fights end fairly quickly and in that case, the injuries MIGHT be minimal. If the fight is mutual, then the law doesn't need to enter the equation. Assault is a different story entirely.

I was assaulted at a Kansas City Royals game when I was 16. I was blind sided by a punch which shattered my jaw in 3 different places. At first, I didn't know what had happened. I saw white, and was obviously in shock. I think my brain got knocked around my skull...sounded like a slot machine and felt like a week after Vegas. Cheap shots. Gotta love em. Having your jaw wired shut for a month while eating ice cream, steak and tacos through a straw is best left to those who wish to go insane. :)

David and Goliath comes to mind.

If there are no witnesses, take some large blunt object, like a fire extinguisher, and bang 'em on the head with it after pointing to an object in the sky and saying "Look! A bird!" He sounds big and dumb. Chances are he'll turn around. Then, you can just hit him really hard. If its inside, it should still work, depending upon how stupid and dumb he really is.

You can get charged even if you didn't start the fight...

I wouldn't want to put my freedom on the line on an assumption that the law doesn't need to enter the equation.

Heh, yeah, point taken. What I meant to say was that he'll definitely be facing some kind of sentence if he starts the fight, getting charged is just part of the whole ordeal.

Too risky. Yeah you can get a visit from the cops but there is always the chance that somebody could die. Suppose the blow you deliver is lethal. Not that youre all pumped but hey the guy could be already be borderline and all it takes is for you to tap his scull.

Tell the guy you're sorry or that you dudes can work it out. It hurts alot less than getting your butt kicked. I've been in enough fights to know that it isnt worth it in the long run when its about nothing at all. Especially when its over a girl. I wonder if she would still like you with a few less teeth.

If it is just a normal punch and just leaves a bruise then nothing is going to happen to you. Even if you press charges nothing would happen, but it wouldn't get that far anwyay.

If you hit someone hard and knock out teeth, then there is a chance something could happen. I still wouldn't count on it. Especially if it is a stranger and they have no clue who you are. They probably won't go around for a manhunt for one guy over a regular fist fight.

If there is serious damage with multiple connected punches like broken bones, eye damage, brain damage, then you are talking probable charges.

Wow, people call me an idiot, but even I know that it doesn't take much to get arrested. All you have to do is be aggressive with someone for charges to be laid. However I do know this. Let the other person swing first, and make sure any swing you take is in self defense, aka, any swing you make is an attempt to defend against one of the opponents swings. Don't start the fight, nor finish it. Only if you can make complete sure that your actions were 100% in self defense, and you have a good witness to back this up, should you partake in a fight. Otherwise, avoid it at all possible. Its not a shameful thing to leave the situation.

This may sound foolish or a perfect of example of male chauvinism, but why not just fight and leave the law out of it. If you win, you win. If you lose, you take your beating and move on. It may sound silly but have a little pride, he swings at you swing back and mean it. Don't go into with the idea that you're gonna lose and you can call the cops, you'll lose face. I dunno, its a shitty situation, just carry a sling at all times and SLAY GOLIATH !!!

Might be different for you in the US but over here, Police wont do crap unless its serious, if its just two kids having an argument and a fight breaks out, that shit goes on all the time. Its when it gets out of hand, like other people jumping in creating a full riot, or weapons being used the police will get involved.

If its about a girl, lol be the bigger man there aint a reason to fight, you have already won, its him that feels defeated.

Don't know how old you are, but I thought only adults could invoke charges on people. Maybe wrong there.

Avoid fighting at all costs, if it seems like this guy aint going to back down, make sure you have plenty of credable witnesses (ie noone with a record lol).

If the shit hits the fan, avoid going to the ground, kick him in the nuts, kick him in his shins, or punch him in the solar plexus.

Like I said, you already won, walk away, just don't turn your back.

Not a smart plan, if you really want to fight with this guy put on some boxing gloves and take the fight to a boxing ring. But do NOT go fighting someone in a public place, your odds of getting into trouble are going to be high because from the sound of it you'd be just as much a cause of the fight as he would in the eyes of the cops regardless of who struck first.

DragoonKain: Did you even bother to read the link I posted? :-/

So now the boy has gotten advice from LordsSword and SemperFidelis. Don't do what those guys say. Everyone hates them for a reason.

This is over a girl? Psh, let the dude rage. If he lays a finger on you, call the cops on him.

I think this is the most reasonable solution, after reviewing the material!

Let him rage? Call the police? Are you asking these questions because you're worried that he'll press charges against you or is it really that you want to press charges against him?

Additional Spam:
Okay, took the time to read the entire thread. Forget about the fucking police man. If this woman isn't worth fighting for because this guy's so big (which doesn't necessarily mean you'd lose) forget about her and put that shit behind you. Calling the police or, worse yet, letting him hit you... Just doesn't sit right with me. It'd make you a bigger woman than your woman and what do you really think she'd think about you then?

And dude, I've been in a few fights and seen countless. Only ONCE did I see the police show up. I don't know about your area, but I wouldn't worry about it much. The shit shouldn't take more than two minutes.

Real mature to resort to insults. I've been in fights before. Not an insane amount, but quite a few. Each time punches were landed and nothing happened.

Could someone technically press charges over a mere bruise? Yes. You can press charges for almost anything you want. But it is not going to ever make it to court. It will settle with little penalty if any at all.

If a cop witnesses a fight with a few smallish punches landed then no one is going to jail unless the cop is a real prick. The chances are that he will just break it up and tell them to go home. Unless they are a lot older like late 30's, then it could be different. I'm under the assumption that the topic creator isn't any older than early 20's if that.

If you just walk up to a guy and flat out deck him for no reason then that is a different story. That is assault yes. Is that really what is going on here? When the TC said "fist FIGHT" I assumed he was going to challenge the person to a fight, and not just walk up to a guy and start unloading punches on him for no reason.

Gumpy: no. The only post on the first page I read was the topic creator.

Actually, it's not. Rocketdog, if you're really that worried, a) don't fight and call the police or b) seek real legal advice from an actual lawyer, not an internet forum.

Could you be any dumber?

If the other person attacked you first, then your punch would be self defense. If you go up to someone and just deck him then you assaulted that person.

Anyway, fighting just out of anger or dislike for someone isn't a good idea. The only real legit reason to get into a fight is protection of yourself or someone else. If someone attacks you or your girlfriend/wife/spouse then you have every right to fight back.

Going up and hitting someone for no reason or setting up petty fights accomplishes nothing.

But I guess it depends on where you live. Some areas are much more strict on crime than others. Like in urban areas cops usually have better things to do than arrest people for petty fights. In surburban areas from my personal knowledge is different. It all depends on the severity of the fight, the cops and people involved, among other things.

The crime here is such a joke and a disgrace, fights happen all the time, even when I was in my teens and nothing ever happened to me.

Why is this not a smart plan? Albeit the situation does not seem to have many outs, but at the very least maintain your dignity. In all likelihood, unless he jumps you in some dark alley (which you should avoid), people will be around that will break it up within seconds/minutes. Get in close, so he can't get any real power behind punches, and it will turn into a wrestling match, like 99% of the fights that occur. You can then exchange insults, swear, etc. without looking like a little girl. Using "Im gonna tell." never garnered much respect from anyone.

People who think like that shouldn't be fighting. I'm a trained soldier, I know how easy it is to kill you with my hands. Beating the fuck out of some jackass because he "deserved" it is not smart, in fact it is very stupid and shows a great level of immaturity.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying he shouldn't fight back if he is attacked, but what I am saying is that he needs to be aware that just because you didn't swing the first punch you can be just as responsible for a fight which is illegal and VERY different from self defense. And that egging this guy on in not the wise thing to do.

There are a lot of people here who are saying get the fight over with or that “I’ve been in a bunch of fights and nothing came of it”, and that line of thinking will only get you into trouble if you get caught. This isn’t preschool where “I’m gonna tell” is the line of the weak, this if your life, one wrong punch could end it. Why do you need to prove anything to a pathetic idiot? I don’t need to “prove” that I can beat someone up, beating someone else up only proves how much of a worthless person I am.

Ignore the kid. What would you be proving if you took a swing? I've been in your shoes and it was probably the most difficult thing I've ever had to do, but I laughed it off after a while. I didn't like what my aggression was doing to my girlfriend. That side of me was scaring her. He was provoking me into being a monster, which would have inadvertently caused for me to push my chick away. I eventually decided that she comes first and not some loser who has nothing better to do than to try to wedge himself into the middle of my happy relationship. He needed a new hobby. He eventually backed off when I stopped reacting. I knew deep down that he couldn't hang with my stuff. Weakness becomes fear. Fear becomes anger.

Be in control.