A person who commits a battery commits which of the following?

• A. Misdemeanor of the first degree
• B. Misdemeanor of the second degree
• C. Felony of the third degree
• D. Felony of the second degree

Answer: (C)

A battery is treated as a mid-level, intentional harmful or offensive touching, and in this jurisdiction the statute places that conduct as a felony of the second degree. This reflects that while the act involves deliberate contact and can cause harm, it isn’t automatically the most serious category of harm the law recognizes. The second-degree felony designation sits between lesser punishments for misdemeanors and harsher penalties for more severe offenses.

If aggravating factors are present—such as causing serious bodily injury or using a deadly weapon—the charge would rise to a higher level, like a first-degree felony or an aggravated-battery offense. Without those factors, the base battery charge here remains a second-degree felony, which explains why that option is the best fit among the choices. The other levels (lower misdemeanors or higher felonies) would not align with how the statute classifies this basic act of battery.