---
title: "What is the difference between simple assault and felony assault in Rhode Island?"
description: "The difference between simple assault and felony assault in Rhode Island comes down to aggravating factors. Simple assault is a misdemeanor, generally involving a threat or minor physical contact..."
url: https://bankandmunns.com/faq-items/what-is-the-difference-between-simple-assault-and-felony-assault-in-rhode-island-2/
date: 2026-08-19
modified: 2026-08-19
author: "Bank and Munns"
type: avada_faq
lang: en
---

# What is the difference between simple assault and felony assault in Rhode Island?

The difference between simple assault and felony assault in Rhode Island comes down to aggravating factors. Simple assault is a misdemeanor, generally involving a threat or minor physical contact without a weapon and without serious injury, and it carries up to a year of jail exposure. Felony assault involves something more, such as a dangerous weapon, serious bodily injury, or an assault committed to carry out another serious crime, and it carries far higher penalties reaching many years in prison. The same incident can sometimes be charged either way depending on how the state characterizes the injury or the object involved. That gray area is important, because moving a charge from the felony side to the misdemeanor side dramatically changes the stakes, from a permanent felony record and prison exposure to a misdemeanor that is far easier to resolve and, later, to clear.