Is there a defining line between Misdemeanor and Criminal?
Is it blood?
It’s by statute.
Usually a “simple” assault (misdemeanor) would be someone taking a swing at someone or pushing a person. From there it escalates into (again, I’m not versed in Georgia law) Felonious Assault, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and upward. It depends on the force used, the injuries received that would determine the severity of the crime.
If I hit you with a fist, you fall and strike your head against a table and suffer a cracked skull, what may have started out as a simple assault has escalated to a felonious assault.
If I hit you with a baseball bat...now I’ve used a weapon and the charges would be more severe. Again, it’s more of a cause and effect thing.
FWIW...it’s all criminal.
The difference would be between a misdemeanor and a felony. The usual difference is length of incarceration as punishment.
A misdemeanor is usually punishable by up to 1-year imprisonment in a county jail.
A felony is a crime that the defendant could be incarcerated over a year in a state facility.
Hope this makes some sense.