Assault 3rd (Class A Misdemeanor) is best described by which statement?

Assault 3rd (Class A Misdemeanor) is best described by which statement?

• A. With intent to cause physical injury to a person, he causes such injury to a person or third person
• B. He recklessly causes physical injury to another person
• C. With criminal negligence, he causes physical injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument
• D. Assault 3rd requires intent to cause death

Answer: (A)

Assault in the third degree centers on a specific mental state: the actor intentionally set out to cause physical injury. If someone acts with that intent and actually causes physical harm to a person, that description fits this offense. The injury can affect the intended target or another person nearby, but the crucial element is the purposeful intent to injure, not a reckless or negligent mindset and not a desire to kill. That’s why this description is the best fit: it captures both the intentional aim to cause injury and the resulting physical harm. If the act were only reckless or negligent, it would describe a different charge; if it required intent to kill, it would describe a more serious offense than Assault 3rd.

Assault in the third degree centers on a specific mental state: the actor intentionally set out to cause physical injury. If someone acts with that intent and actually causes physical harm to a person, that description fits this offense. The injury can affect the intended target or another person nearby, but the crucial element is the purposeful intent to injure, not a reckless or negligent mindset and not a desire to kill.

That’s why this description is the best fit: it captures both the intentional aim to cause injury and the resulting physical harm. If the act were only reckless or negligent, it would describe a different charge; if it required intent to kill, it would describe a more serious offense than Assault 3rd.