How JustAnswer Works:

 
 
 
  • Ask an Expert
    Experts are full of valuable knowledge and are ready to help with any question. Credentials confirmed by a Fortune 500 verification firm.
  • Get a Professional Answer
    Via email, text message, or notification as you wait on our site.
    Ask follow up questions if you need to.
  • 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
    Rate the answer you receive.
 
 
 
Ask psimmons Your Own Question
psimmons, Attorney
Category: Legal
Positive Feedback: 98.5 %
Satisfied Customers: 23541
Experience: Law Degree, 12 Years of trial experience
Type Your Legal Question Here...
psimmons is online now
A new question is answered every 9 seconds

On Friday my room mate using his finger hit me on my chest

Resolved Question:

On Friday my room mate using his finger hit me on my chest in front of two men at work. I pushed him away and told him to go to the derrick, he walk away from the job. The next day he started yelling at me about his rig cloths. I told him that picking up after him his not my respondable. He spit on me and I pushed him away. He landed on the floor. I moved out of the trailer and two months later I am told the police are looking for me. I am on my week vacation. I will be returning soon for I now know the police are looking for me. My room mate went to the hospital and the doctor reported this to the police. My room mate dislocated his shoulder. He has had this condition long before he started working with me.
Will I go to jail for this and if so how long will I be in jail? Thank you for your time.

This happen in North Dakota. my e-mail address:XXX@XXXXXX.XXX

Submitted: 12 months ago.
Category: Legal
Expert:  psimmons replied 12 months ago.

Thanks for the chance to help. I am an attorney with over 12 years experience. Hopefully I can help you with your legal question.

What you describe sounds more like "mutual combat" than assault. That is, it sounds like you were in a mutual fight.

Not that that would excuse the conduct. It is actually a crime for two folks to fight...they can both be charged with "assault".

But it is not as bad as if one person was minding their own business and another person came along and assaulted them.

What you describe? I bet the other guy told the police exactly that....he was going about his business and you jumped him.

So it sounds like the police may not have the full story.

The bad news? Not in your best interest now to tell the police anything.

Once you become a suspect it is almost NEVER in your best interest to talk to the cops.

SInce when they interrogate you, they are looking not for justice, but to build the case against you.

You need a lawyer. If the police charge you, you will be given a chance to have your day in court

For this you need a lawyer.

If you can not afford one, the state will provide one for you

If you can afford? Then time to start talking to some. Pick one with experience in criminal defense

What you describe? I would not expect this to go to court...if the truth comes out I would expect perhaps a plea bargain to disorderly conduct for both you and your friend

But do yourself a favor...do not talk to the cops. Get a lawyer.

psimmons, Attorney
Category: Legal
Positive Feedback: 98.5 %
Satisfied Customers: 23541
Experience: Law Degree, 12 Years of trial experience
psimmons and 14 other Legal Specialists are ready to help you
Ask Your Own Question Now
Customer: replied 12 months ago.

Will I go to jail for this? I was only defending myself and move out as soon as I could. In fact my room mate is till txting me on my phone and I feel I should not talk to him. So, I haven't txt him back.


I am told that a lawyer in ND will not take my case until I am arrested. I have a good job and do not want to loose it. I have no one in ND to help me find a lawyer.

Picture
Expert:  psimmons replied 12 months ago.

Jail? What you describe sounds like simple assault.

I would not expect jail...not for a first offense.

As for the roommate, good idea to NOT talk to the roommate.

And it is true, you can not get a free lawyer unless you are charged. But if you want to find a lawyer you can start the search here

Link text

or here

Link text

Ask Your Own Legal Question
Customer: replied 12 months ago.

Thank you for your help.

JustAnswer in the News:

 
 
 
Ask-a-doc Web sites: If you've got a quick question, you can try to get an answer from sites that say they have various specialists on hand to give quick answers... Justanswer.com.
JustAnswer.com...has seen a spike since October in legal questions from readers about layoffs, unemployment and severance.
Web sites like justanswer.com/legal
...leave nothing to chance.
Traffic on JustAnswer rose 14 percent...and had nearly 400,000 page views in 30 days...inquiries related to stress, high blood pressure, drinking and heart pain jumped 33 percent.
Tory Johnson, GMA Workplace Contributor, discusses work-from-home jobs, such as JustAnswer in which verified Experts answer people’s questions.
I will tell you that...the things you have to go through to be an Expert are quite rigorous.
 
 
 

What Customers are Saying:

 
 
 
  • Mr. Kaplun clearly had an exceptional understanding of the issue and was able to explain it concisely. I would recommend JustAnswer to anyone. Great service that lives up to its promises! Gary B. Edmond, OK
< Last | Next >
  • Mr. Kaplun clearly had an exceptional understanding of the issue and was able to explain it concisely. I would recommend JustAnswer to anyone. Great service that lives up to its promises! Gary B. Edmond, OK
  • My Expert was fast and seemed to have the answer to my taser question at the tips of her fingers. Communication was excellent. I left feeling confident in her answer. Eric Redwood City, CA
  • I am very pleased with JustAnswer as a place to go for divorce or criminal law knowledge and insight. Michael Wichita, KS
  • PaulMJD helped me with questions I had regarding an urgent legal matter. His answers were excellent. Three H. Houston, TX
  • Anne was extremely helpful. Her information put me in the right direction for action that kept me legal, possible saving me a ton of money in the future. Thank you again, Anne!! Elaine Atlanta, GA
  • It worked great. I had the facts and I presented them to my ex-landlord and she folded and returned my deposit. The 50 bucks I spent with you solved my problem. Tony Apopka, FL
  • Not only did he answer my Michigan divorce question but was also able to help me out with it, too. I have since won my legal case on this matter and thank you so much for it. Lee Michigan
 
 
 

Meet The Experts:

 
 
 
  • Tina's Avatar

    Tina

    Lawyer

    Positive Feedback:

    98.1 %

    Satisfied Customers:

    7554
    JD, BBA Over 20 years legal and business experience.
< Last | Next >
  • http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/MU/multistatelaw/2011-11-27_173951_Tinaglamourshotworkglow102011.64x64.jpg Tina's Avatar

    Tina

    Lawyer

    Positive Feedback:

    98.1 %

    Satisfied Customers:

    7554
    JD, BBA Over 20 years legal and business experience.
  • http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/paulmojd/2008-11-27_190909_paul_pic_2.jpg PaulMJD's Avatar

    PaulMJD

    Attorney

    Positive Feedback:

    98.1 %

    Satisfied Customers:

    27851
    JA Mentor -Attorney Labor/employment, corporate, sports law, admiralty/maritime and civil rights law
  • http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/RA/ratioscripta/2012-6-13_2955_foto3.64x64.jpg Ely's Avatar

    Ely

    Counselor at Law

    Positive Feedback:

    98.6 %

    Satisfied Customers:

    17981
    Private practice with focus on family, criminal, PI, consumer protection, and business consultation.
  • http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/FL/FLAandNYLawyer/2012-1-27_14349_3Fotolia25855429M.64x64.jpg FiveStarLaw's Avatar

    FiveStarLaw

    Attorney

    Positive Feedback:

    97.9 %

    Satisfied Customers:

    8043
    25 years of experience helping people like you.
  • http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/jespoag/2008-12-17_222355_jessepic.jpg JPEsq's Avatar

    JPEsq

    Attorney

    Positive Feedback:

    99.3 %

    Satisfied Customers:

    2131
    Experience as general attorney, in house counsel, SSDI, Family Law attorney, and law professor
  • http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/gsenmartin/2008-04-22_214950_me1.jpg Guillermo J. Senmartin, Esq.'s Avatar

    Guillermo J. Senmartin, Esq.

    Attorney

    Positive Feedback:

    100.0 %

    Satisfied Customers:

    6
    7+ years of experience handling various legal matters.
  • http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/IN/insearchoftheanswer/2011-6-30_221052_RWFPHOTO.64x64.jpg LegalBeacon's Avatar

    LegalBeacon

    Attorney

    Positive Feedback:

    98.3 %

    Satisfied Customers:

    14035
    Attorney/Developer