Louisiana residents may have heard about an NBA star that is facing legal implications from an alleged scuffle with another man. The purported Las Vegas incident resulted in misdemeanor criminal charges for the athlete.
Los Angeles Clippers player Blake Griffin is set to appear for arraignment Dec. 8 in Las Vegas. Griffin is facing a misdemeanor battery charge after an alleged encounter with a man at a nightclub. A man has accused the 25-year-old player of attacking him Oct. 19, grabbing his neck and slapping him while taking his cell phone after he snapped a photo of the star at the nightclub. Griffin had been at the club with fellow Clippers players following an exhibition game against the Denver Nuggets in Las Vegas. The star now faces a criminal charge that could result in up to six months of jail time. It is unclear whether the player has already enlisted a Las Vegas lawyer to assist in the case.
Individuals facing assault or battery charges have a variety of defenses available, depending on the facts and circumstances. First, defense of property may be a possibility to justify the conduct. Depending on state law, an individual acting against his property being invaded, illegally withheld or stolen may be able to use reasonable force in defense of the property. Additionally, an individual acting with an honest and real perceived fear of harm to another person may be able to act in defense of the other. Some jurisdictions also allow consent to a particular act as a battery defense, but it can be harder to establish.
The most common justification for battery involves self-defense. People may be able to justify their actions if they can show a threat of unlawful harm against them, an honest perceived fear of harm to themselves, no provocation on their end and no reasonable chance of retreating. Though it’s not a guaranteed defense, the self-defense argument may offer an opportunity for an individual’s actions to be considered reasonable under some circumstances.
Battery charges may result in long-term consequences for an individual. A solid defense team may be able to assist an individual to have the person’s voice heard regarding conduct that has taken place and avoid repercussions for actions that were justified.
Source: WAFB, “Blake Griffin facing misdemeanor charge in Vegas,” Ken Ritter, November 12, 2014