Eli5 What does “aggravated” mean when added to a criminal charge?

Question

What is the difference between assault and aggravated assault? Identity theft and aggravated identity theft?

In: 111

Answer 1

To add to the other answers, sometimes the “aggravated” part refers to the use of a deadly weapon.

For instance, in some jurisdictions, simple assault is just the perceived threat of violence or physical contact, while aggravated assault is that same threat but when a deadly weapon is used to make the threat.

Again, though, it really will vary by jurisdiction. The best way you can find more info is to either go into a particular jurisdiction’s statutes or even jury instructions (since it will break down the crime into precise elements and help make the differences more apparent)