Can you fight back if someone hits you?

Just because someone insulted you or said something rude or mean doesn't mean you have the right to hit them. However, if physical harm is imminent or they've already hit you once, you may have a legal right to self defence and can hit them back.
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Can I fight back if someone hits me?

Even as the first person to use force, it's possible to act in self-defense. If a reasonable person would think that physical harm is in the immediate offing, the defendant can typically use reasonable force to prevent the attack. People don't have to wait until they've actually been struck to act in self-defense.
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Can you punch someone if they punch you first?

6 attorney answers

Yes it starts out as self defense when a person hits you first and you defend yourself HOWEVER you don't have the right or the ability to "beat the other person up" Your force or defense can only rise up to the...
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Can you fight back if someone hits you UK?

In the UK, anyone can use reasonable force to protect themselves or others if a crime is taking place. This includes fighting back in self-defence if you're attacked or tackling an intruder to the ground. If someone else is being attacked, you can use force to stop the assault and defend yourself in the process.
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What happens if you hit first in a fight?

The answer is yes. While it might not be the most common of defenses to assault and battery charges, striking a person before they hit you is a valid legal defense. The reason for this defense is the belief that the accused attacker felt threatened by the person who they struck.
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How to React if Someone Wants to Fight You



Can you hit someone if they push you?

What does the law say about assault? According to the law there are several different types of assault, which may depend on how someone hurt you, or how badly you were injured. The main types of assault are: Common assault: when someone uses force, such as pushing or slapping, or makes threats of violence.
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Can you hit a girl if she hits you 3 times?

Timothy A.

It is legal to defend yourself against her attack. However, you can use only the amount of force to stop her. If you use more, you have escalated the situation and can possibly be charged with assault.
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Can you punch someone if they cough on you on purpose?

If you punch someone in the face in response to being coughed on there's a good chance you'll be charged with assault and that the justification defense will not work for you. The courts are likely to say that you had a duty to scramble out of the way, or to step back.
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Is punching someone assault?

Assault is a crime that involves using force against someone without that person's consent. For example, throwing an object at someone, punching, or scratching people without their consent is a crime and can have legal consequences.
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Can you defend yourself in a fight?

California law not only permits you to act in defense of yourself but in the defense of others, as well. To establish that you acted in self-defense of another person, you must prove you had a reasonable belief that force was necessary to protect another person from an imminent threat of danger.
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How do you win a fight in 30 seconds?

To win a fight in under 30 seconds, try to avoid your opponent's first kick or punch by stepping to the side, then use their momentum to push them down from behind. Give them the strongest push possible by thrusting off the ground with your legs and following through with your arms.
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Can you push someone who gets in your face?

Yes. However, at the time you act, you must reasonably believe that you are in imminent danger of being killed or seriously injured. The level of force you use cannot exceed the threat with which you are faced. If the threat you face is death or great bodily harm, deadly force can be excusable.
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Is punching someone a felony?

Punching a person is a battery under California law (per Penal Code 242) and it could be charged as a felony if the defendant: punched a public servant, as in a police officer, firefighter, or EMT, or. punched a person and it caused great bodily injury.
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Is slapping someone a crime?

— A slap on the face is an unlawful aggression. Since the face represents a person and his dignity, slapping it is a serious personal attack. It is a physical assault coupled with a willful disregard, nay, a defiance, of an individual's personality.
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Is pushing someone a fight?

Shoving someone can constitute an assault under California law. Shoving someone can be considered both: an assault, per California Penal Code 240, and. a battery, per California Penal Code 242.
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Can you be charged for self Defence?

Anyone accused of an assault can deny the offence because they were acting in self-defence. This means that they accept they have used reasonable force or violence against the alleged victim, but that they were acting lawfully when they did so. Self-defence may seem very simple, but this may not always be the case.
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What happens if you hurt someone in self Defence?

However, many people use the term “self-defense” to justify unwarranted aggression, which can make them subject to criminal punishments. This means you could end up serving time in jail or prison for harming another person, even if you were merely defending yourself.
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