Civil law may result in you having to pay money or give up property or rights to something, but criminal law may result in you being confined. You may have to pay fines or restitution, but the primary thing that separates civil and criminal law is confinement in a jail or prison, maybe for a lifetime. The following are some criminal law topic that are related to self-defense.

Assault and Battery

Most people have heard of the crime "assault and battery." Actually, assault and battery is two separate offenses: an assault (the threat to strike) and a battery (the actual strike).

A battery is the intentional offensive touching of another person. It may be a punch to the chest or simply pointing a finger that touches the chest, but it must be intentional. Accidentally bumping into someone on the street is not intentional. A battery must be offensive; an attention getting tap on the shoulder is not offensive. Any touching, however minor, is a battery under the law if it is intentional and offensive.