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What is the definition of mayhem?

Jeffrey Johnson

Managing Editor & Lawyer

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The crime of mayhem refers to serious assaults on an individuals that leave a lasting physical impact. The definition of mayhem makes a crime any serious infliction of injury to a victim's body part in way that removes it or renders it useless.

Definition of Mayhem - Specifics

In the United States, most state laws have incorporated the definition of mayhem into the crimes of assault and battery. However, some state statutes still define mayhem in their criminal codes as a separate offense. In California, for example, every person who maliciously deprives another human being of a body part, or renders it useless,or cuts out an eye or the tongue, or slits the nose or a lip, is guilty of mayhem. Additionally, if the person commits the act under circumstances exhibiting an extreme indifference to the physical or psychological well being of the victim, he is guilty of aggravated mayhem. For the offender to be convicted, the injury must be permanent and not a temporary loss.

Under California law, a person convicted of mayhem can receive a sentence of two, four or eight years in prison, depending on the nature and circumstances of the offense. Additionally, a person convicted of aggravated mayhem - a felony - can receive a sentence of up to life in prison with the possibility of parole. In Massachusetts, a person convicted of mayhem can receive up to twenty years in prison.

Getting Legal Help

Mayhem is a serious crime that has tremendous consequences to anyone convicted of it. If you have been charged with mayhem, you should consult immediately with a competent criminal defense lawyer in your area.