A Chicago woman has been charged with attacking several people with a bat. In at least one case, she asked a victim, “What would happen if I hit you with this bat?” Well, the verdict is in. She will be charged with several counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and face more charges for instances in which she did not use a bat, but merely attacked people with her hands.
All told, she will face four counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, three counts of aggravated battery in a public place, and one count of aggravated assault. Her bond has been set at $800,000 or $100,000 per victim for a total of eight victims. Although the judge noted it was her first offense, he had to consider the safety of the public in assessing bail. The woman is unlikely to have enough money to bail herself out, and thus, she is off the streets.
The attacks appear to be random. In one case, the woman drove up alongside a victim and said something threatening. She then punched the woman in the face and began dragging her by the hair until a third party intervened. An hour later, she found a second victim and said something threatening before attacking.
Aggravated Battery With a Deadly Weapon
The sentencing range for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon is between six and 30 years, and this particular defendant is facing four counts for a minimum sentencing range of 24 years. The elements of this particular crime are met when a defendant uses a weapon (like a bat) to cause serious injury to an injured party. Injuries are also an element of an aggravated battery charge. It is unclear, however, from the article how severely injured the victims were. In one case, a victim reported losing vision for a brief moment after her head was slammed into the pavement.
Is a Mental Health Defense Possible?
A mental health defense is the most likely course of action a criminal defense attorney would take in this matter. In this case, the perpetrator did not have a criminal record, and then one day, she decided to go beat up a bunch of people. If her attorney can establish that such conduct is out of character for her and she has an undiagnosed mental health disorder, then it is likely her attorney will raise a mental health defense at trial. In a case like this, it would be important for the defense to establish a baseline of her normal behavior. Some perception disorders like schizophrenia or bipolar will appear later in life. So, her defense team will need to establish that this is not her typical behavior and that she was not of sound mind while committing the attacks.
Talk to a Chicago Criminal Defense Lawyer Today
David Freidberg represents the interests of Chicago residents that have been charged with crimes like aggravated battery. Call our office today at (312) 560-7100, and we can begin preparing your defense immediately.