Assault and mayhem are severe violations of personal security and bodily integrity. Understanding these concepts is crucial as they reflect legal ramifications and underscore the societal commitment to safeguarding public safety. This category includes crimes that violate bodily safety but fall short of murder. It examines the definitions, legal implications, and societal impacts of assault and mayhem.
Assault is an intentional act that creates another person’s reasonable apprehension of imminent harmful or offensive contact. It does not necessarily involve physical contact; the threat of violence alone can constitute assault. Legal systems may vary slightly in their definitions, but the core elements typically include intent, the victim’s reasonable perception of imminent harm, and the act itself.
Mayhem, on the other hand, is a more severe crime. It involves the intentional infliction of a severe injury that permanently disfigures or disables the victim. Historically, mayhem referred to acts that deprived someone of a body part or its use, such as cutting off a hand or blinding an eye. Modern legal definitions have expanded to include any act that causes permanent disability or disfigurement. This makes it one of the gravest forms of physical assault.
The legal implications of assault and mayhem are profound, involving both criminal and civil penalties. Criminal penalties for assault can range from fines and community service to imprisonment. Punishment depends on factors such as the severity of the threat, the use of a weapon, and any aggravating circumstances. Simple assault typically carries lighter sentences. Aggravated assault, which involves a higher degree of violence or use of a deadly weapon, results in more severe punishments.
Given its severe nature, mayhem attracts even harsher penalties. Convictions for mayhem often result in lengthy prison sentences due to the long-lasting impact on the victim’s life. The classification of mayhem as a felony reflects its seriousness. Convictions for mayhem often carry mandatory minimum sentences to deter such grievous acts.
Civil liabilities are also significant, as victims of assault and mayhem can file lawsuits for damages. These damages may cover medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and punitive damages designed to punish the perpetrator and deter future misconduct.
The impact to society of assault and mayhem extends beyond the immediate physical harm to victims. It affects the broader community and societal norms. Victims of these crimes often suffer long-term psychological trauma, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The fear and mistrust resulting from such incidents can erode the sense of safety and community cohesion.
Families and communities both suffer from these crimes. When a family member is a victim of assault or mayhem, the entire household can experience emotional and financial strain. Communities plagued by high rates of violent crime often face challenges such as decreased property values, reduced business investment, and a pervasive atmosphere of fear and insecurity.
Assault and mayhem are severe crimes with significant legal and societal consequences. They represent fundamental breaches of personal security and bodily integrity, warranting stringent legal responses and comprehensive prevention strategies. By addressing the root causes of violence and fostering a culture of respect and non-violence, society can work towards reducing the incidence of these crimes and mitigating their impact on individuals and communities. A balanced approach that combines enforcement, education, and rehabilitation can enhance public safety and uphold the principles of justice and human dignity.
Maniacal attacks can occur at any time or place. In this blog post, I look at one that happened on a baseball field outside Washington, D.C. The shooter, James Hodgkinson, opened fire on members of Congress practicing for an annual charity baseball game.
James Hodgkinson
James Hodgkinson was 66 years old, a left-wing radical, unemployed, and out of money. He had lived most of his life in Belleville, Illinois. But by June 2017, he had spent about six weeks living in his van. He parked the van near a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia, and at a nearby YMCA.
The sheriff of St. Clair County, Illinois, where he lived most of his life, noted that Hodgkinson had about a dozen interactions with law enforcement over a span of twenty years. These incidents included traffic offenses, drunk driving, and domestic battery. Authorities dropped the latter charge when the victim declined to testify.
James Hodgkinson in an undated mugshot (St. Clair County, Illinois Sheriff’s Department)
In March 2017, a neighbor in Belleville called police to report Hodgkinson firing a rifle at trees in a residential neighborhood. Responding officers determined that he had a valid gun permit. They advised him not to shoot in a residential area but did not arrest or cite him.
James Hodgkinson Opens Fire
Early on the morning of June 14, 2017, Republican members of Congress were at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park. They were practicing for the Congressional Baseball Game, an annual event staged to benefit charity. Three Capitol Police officers were present to protect House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, whose leadership position merited a security detail.
Congressman Steve Scalise, one of the victims shot by James Hodgkinson (U.S. Congress – Office of Congressman Steve Scalise)
Practice had been underway for about half an hour when Hodgkinson opened fire with a Russian-designed SKS rifle. When the shooting began, two Capitol Police officers, David Bailey and Crystal Griner, rushed onto the field. Hodgkinson then retreated behind the third base dugout. A ten-minute gunbattle ensued. Alexandria Police officers responding to a 911 call arrived within three minutes and joined the Capitol Police. The firing stopped when bullets from several officers wounded Hodgkinson.
Capitol Police Officer Crystal Griner throws out the first pitch at a Capitol Hill women’s softball game a week after suffering a gunshot wound to the ankle (africanamericanreports.com)
Congressman Scalise was at second base when the shooting started. He suffered a severe wound to the hip. He required several blood transfusions and multiple surgeries to repair the damage. Others suffering wounds were Matt Mitka, a lobbyist for Tyson Foods; Capitol Police officers Bailey and Griner; and legislative aide Zach Barth.
Epilogue
James Hodgkinson died of his wounds at George Washington University Hospital later that day.
Scalise returned to Congress to a standing ovation on September 28.
One day later, the Congressional Baseball Game went on as scheduled. The event sold almost 25,000 tickets, a record, and raised more than $1 million for charity.
You can find more information about the annual Congressional Baseball game here.
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After an unplanned hiatus, I am back to present a new crime. This blog post examines the shooting of politician George Wallace. Wallace gained fame, or perhaps infamy, from his posture as a staunch segregationist in the early 1960s. By 1972, he was campaigning for President of the United States when a would-be assassin shot him at a political rally.
George Wallace, Segregationist
George Wallace was born in 1919 in Clio, a tiny town in southeast Alabama. After receiving a law degree from the University of Alabama and serving in World War II, he began dabbling in politics. In 1946, he won election to the Alabama House of Representatives. At that time, public opinion considered him a moderate on racial issues.
George Corley Wallace, official portrait ca. 1970 (State of Alabama)
Wallace ran for Alabama governor in 1858 but lost in the primary to John John M. Patterson. Patterson was Attorney General of Alabama and had the endorsement of the Ku Klux Klan, while the NAACP endorsed the relatively unknown Wallace. Wallace lost the primary by over 34,000 votes. Afterward, he told an aide that he lost because Patterson “out-segregationed” him (the exact language is uncertain).
By 1962, Wallace had morphed into a hard-line segregationist. He ran for governor again and won handily. His inaugural address included the line, “I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.”
George Wallace Stands in the Schoolhouse Door
In 1963, Wallace made a vain attempt to prevent two African American students, Vivian Malone and James Hood, from enrolling in the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. On June 11, 1963, he stood in front of the university’s Foster Auditorium, symbolically blocking the students. President John F. Kennedy had the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division on standby, ready to enforce integration, and the students’ registration proceeded.
U.S. Deputy District Attorney Nicholas Katzenbach confronts Governor George Wallace “standing in the schoolhouse door” at the University of Alabama in 1963 (Warren K. Leffler, U.S. News & World Report Magazine)
A second attempt to keep four Black students from enrolling in four separate Huntsville elementary schools in September 1963 also failed.
George Wallace Runs for President
In early November 1963, Wallace announced in Dallas, Texas, that he planned to challenge President John F. Kennedy for the 1964 Democratic presidential nomination. Days later, and also in Dallas, Kennedy was assassinated, and Vice President Lyndon Johnson became President. Nevertheless, Wallace entered the 1964 primaries, garnering a sizeable percentage of the vote in several states.
In 1968, Wallace ran for President again, this time as the candidate of the newly-created American Independent Party. His 1968 platform strongly echoed what he espoused in 1964. In November, he won three states and 45 electoral votes (a faithless elector in North Carolina added one more electoral vote).
George Wallace announces his bid for the presidency in 1968 (Matthew McMullin)
1972, George Wallace returned to the Democratic Party for a third Presidential campaign. By then, he had reinvented his political self once again. He announced that he no longer supported segregation and rebranded himself as more of a populist.
George Wallace Shot
By May of 1972, Wallace was receiving high ratings in national opinion polls. On May 15, he attended a campaign event at the Laurel Shopping Center in Laurel, Maryland. There, a man named Arthur Bremer shot him four times with a Charter Arms snub-nosed .38 caliber revolver.
Arthur Herman Bremer
Bremer was a 21-year-old neer-do-well who had tried earlier to assassinate President Richard Nixon as he campaigned for reelection. Failing to get close enough to Nixon to carry out his plan, he turned his attention to Wallace instead.
On May 13, Bremer stalked Wallace to a rally in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Photographs of the rally show he had a clear opportunity to shoot but hesitated for fear of injuring some nearby teenagers.
The candidate speaks at a rally at the Laural Shopping Center moments before being shot by Arthur Bremer (Mabel Hobart)
Bremer followed the candidate to a shopping center rally in Wheaton, Maryland, two days later. However, the audience in Wheaton was predominantly hostile to Wallace, so he skipped shaking hands with the crowd.
The crowd was more friendly at the next rally in Laurel, Maryland. After finishing his speech, Wallace shook hands with some of the people present against the advice of his Secret Service guards. Bremer pushed his way forward, pointed his gun at Wallace’s abdomen, and fired five times, emptying the revolver. Television news cameras captured the shooting.
Bremer hit Wallace four times, causing severe abdominal injuries. One bullet lodged in Wallace’s spinal cord, while others struck him in the chest and abdomen. Three people nearby were also wounded, two seriously.
George Wallace lies wounded on the ground after being shot four times
Bremer’s diary, published after his arrest, showed he wanted fame and notoriety and that his motives were not political.
Epilogue
George Wallace spent several weeks recovering from his wounds but was paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life. With the assassination attempt, his run for president in 1972 was effectively over. He ran poorly in a fourth presidential campaign in 1976, mainly because of voter concern over his health.
Wallace served his final term as Alabama governor between 1983 and 1987. By this time, he had come full circle, apologizing to the African American community for his earlier segregationist stance. In this term, he appointed more Blacks to state positions, including two cabinet members, than any previous Alabama governor.
Arthur Bremer stood trial beginning on July 31, 1972. On August 4, the jury of six men and six women took only 95 minutes to reject his insanity plea and convicted him of attempted murder. An appeals court reduced his 63-year sentence to 53 years on September 28, 1972.
Bremer was released on November 9, 2007, after serving 35 years. He remains on supervised release until 2025.
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