Simple Assault includes which acts?

Simple Assault includes which acts?

• A. Attempt to commit a battery
• B. Intentionally put victim in apprehension of battery
• C. Both Attempt to Commit a Battery and Intentionally Put Victim in Apprehension of Battery
• D. Neither A nor B

Answer: (C)

Simple Assault in Louisiana covers two alternative ways to be guilty: an attempt to commit a battery, or placing another person in reasonable apprehension of imminent harmful or offensive contact. A completed battery isn’t required for this offense; the statute focuses on the intent to cause harmful contact or the mere threat of such contact. So both described acts fit the offense: attempting to commit a battery satisfies the first branch, while intentionally putting the victim in apprehension of battery satisfies the second branch. Since the statute contemplates either path, recognizing that both acts fall under Simple Assault is correct. This distinction also clarifies why a crime can be committed without any actual contact.

Simple Assault in Louisiana covers two alternative ways to be guilty: an attempt to commit a battery, or placing another person in reasonable apprehension of imminent harmful or offensive contact. A completed battery isn’t required for this offense; the statute focuses on the intent to cause harmful contact or the mere threat of such contact.

So both described acts fit the offense: attempting to commit a battery satisfies the first branch, while intentionally putting the victim in apprehension of battery satisfies the second branch. Since the statute contemplates either path, recognizing that both acts fall under Simple Assault is correct. This distinction also clarifies why a crime can be committed without any actual contact.