In the heat of the moment, you might have made the serious mistake of assaulting a sports official who was overseeing a game in which you or a family member was participating. Whether your body checked a hockey referee, pushed a soccer official to the ground, or threw a bottle at a football official, you could soon be facing criminal charges. Upon hiring a criminal defense attorney, you'll need to start discussing your defense strategy. Generally, your attorney will want to know why you had this lapse in judgment. In many cases, your answer won't serve as a good defense strategy. Here are some reasons that you won't want to argue in court.
1. The Official Made a Bad Call
It's possible that you lashed out at the sports official in anger because you were upset about a bad call that the official made. While there's little doubt that a referee, umpire, or linesman's mistake can be frustrating, it should never lead to an assault by a player, a coach, or a spectator. Your criminal defense lawyer will help you to understand that complaining about the official's officiating mistake in court will not end well for you.
2. The Official Was Partial to One Team
In every sport, the official must act impartially. He or she must not make calls that favor one team over the other. Sometimes, players, coaches, and fans feel as though an official in acting partial to the other team, and this can cause them to feel incensed. You may have been in this type of situation and felt as though a referee was purposely making calls against your child's team — and decided to take action by marching onto the field and confronting the referee. Your attorney will remind you that even if the official was being highly partial, this shouldn't invite an assault.
3. You Were Trying to Energize Your Team
Sometimes, a coach will use unorthodox tactics to energize his or her team. For example, a coach might yell at an official and receive a penalty or even be kicked out of the game — all to breathe some life into a team that is playing in an uninspired manner. Unfortunately, such scenarios can go too far, and your effort to energize your team may have resulted in a physical confrontation with the official. If you're struggling to come up with an appropriate defense to this charge, your attorney may advocate taking a plea deal.
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