What constitutes Assault in the 1st degree?

First-degree assault in Minnesota law is defined as inflicting great bodily harm on another individual. Great bodily harm refers to an injury that creates a high probability of death, causes serious permanent disfigurement, or results in a permanent or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ. This standard for great bodily harm highlights the severity and the life-altering consequences that can result from such an assault.

Understanding the definition is crucial because it establishes the threshold for what constitutes a first-degree assault, which is more severe than other categories, such as bodily harm or substantial bodily harm. Other options may involve varying degrees of injury but do not reach the severity that defines first-degree assault. This distinction is important for law enforcement and legal practitioners when they assess and classify the nature of an assault offense.