Simple assault in Rhode Island is a misdemeanor prosecuted in District Court and carries a maximum of one year in the ACI. It covers threats, attempted batteries, and unwanted contact that does not involve a weapon. Assault with a dangerous weapon is a felony under the Rhode Island General Laws § 11-5 series, prosecuted in Superior Court, and carries multi-year prison exposure. The state does not have to prove any actual injury to win an ADW case - only that you used, brandished, or threatened with an object capable of causing serious harm. That single element, the weapon, is what turns a misdemeanor push-and-shove into a felony indictment. A Rhode Island assault with a dangerous weapon lawyer focuses heavily on whether the object really qualifies as a dangerous weapon and whether the alleged threat rose to the level of placing the complainant in reasonable fear of imminent harm.
