d3follower
Registered User
Re: UW-Stout offseason thread
Norm - A battery is almost always a felony in Wisconsin. There's only one misdemeanor classification for a battery in Wisconsin and that's when the bodily harm is not substantial. Wisconsin classifies other batteries as felonies, making distinctions by class of felony but they are all felonies. What elevates a battery to felony status is not intent but rather the extent of the bodily injury.
As to "intent," in the case of something like a battery the bar is set very low in terms of proof so most batteries will fall into the intentional category -- all it takes is a showing that harm was intended or would likely to result from the defendant's actions. When you push someone riding a bike from behind, you likely intend to harm him (or should have known that harm would likely result) even if you did not intend to kill him.
While it is true, that 'felony murder' can be when someone causes a death during the commission of a felony, but battery in and of itself need not be felony, it can be a misdemeanor, intent is usually key to being elevated to a felony.
Norm - A battery is almost always a felony in Wisconsin. There's only one misdemeanor classification for a battery in Wisconsin and that's when the bodily harm is not substantial. Wisconsin classifies other batteries as felonies, making distinctions by class of felony but they are all felonies. What elevates a battery to felony status is not intent but rather the extent of the bodily injury.
As to "intent," in the case of something like a battery the bar is set very low in terms of proof so most batteries will fall into the intentional category -- all it takes is a showing that harm was intended or would likely to result from the defendant's actions. When you push someone riding a bike from behind, you likely intend to harm him (or should have known that harm would likely result) even if you did not intend to kill him.