How does Massachusetts distinguish between assault and battery?
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts actually has no statute against ‘battery’ on the books. Rather, there is one crime labeled as “assault” and another as “assault and battery.” According to Massachusetts law, assault does not require physical contact between the offender and the victim. To qualify as assault, an action must be either an attempt to use physical force against another person or the action reasonably suggests the intention to use force against another. If, during