In Pennsylvania, violent crimes such as assault by prisoner are serious. Violent crimes for a prisoner can occur such as: (assault by prisoner) if the prisoner intentionally or knowingly assaults another with a deadly weapon or by force likely to produce serious bodily injury. In addition, it is a crime for a prisoner to intentionally or knowingly force another person to come in contact with blood, seminal fluid, saliva, urine or feces by throwing, tossing, spitting or expelling such fluid or material when, at the time of the offense, the person knew, had reason to know, should have known or believed such fluid or material to have been obtained from an individual infected by a communicable disease, including, but not limited to, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis B. This crime is a felony of the second degree known as assault by prisoner. If found guilty of assault by prisoner, you may face up to ten years in prison and/or fines up to $25,000. The Pennsylvania crimes code defines as a prisoner as a person who is confined in or committed to any local or county detention facility, jail or prison or any State penal or correctional facility located in this Commonwealth.
In addition to the crime of assault by prisoner, it is a crime for a prisoner, while confined or committed or while undergoing transportation to or from an institution or facility in which he was confined or committed, intentionally or knowingly causes another person to come in contact with blood, seminal fluid, saliva, urine or feces by throwing, tossing, spitting, or expelling such fluid or material. This crime is known as aggravated harassment by prisoner and carries a penalty of a possibility of up to 7 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000. Assault Crimes The crime of assault by prisoner and the crime of aggravated harassment by prisoner are both serious offenses with the possibility of a felony if found guilty of either charges. When dealing with any of these charges, it is important to contact a Pennsylvania criminal defense attorney in order to receive the best possible outcome for your case.