Which statement best defines battery?

Which statement best defines battery?

• A. The unlawful application of force to another, resulting in bodily injury or an offensive touching.
• B. A threatening gesture with no contact.
• C. A voluntary admission of guilt.
• D. An accidental touch during sports.

Answer: (A)

Battery is the unlawful physical contact with another person without their consent, and it can involve bodily injury or an offensive touch. The key is the actual touch, not just a threat or an admission of guilt, and the contact must be unlawful or non-consensual. The statement described captures that idea by tying contact to either harm or an offensive touching. The other options describe situations that don’t involve actual unlawful contact: a threatening gesture without contact (assault-like), a voluntary admission of guilt (unrelated to contact), and an accidental touch (generally not battery).

Battery is the unlawful physical contact with another person without their consent, and it can involve bodily injury or an offensive touch. The key is the actual touch, not just a threat or an admission of guilt, and the contact must be unlawful or non-consensual. The statement described captures that idea by tying contact to either harm or an offensive touching. The other options describe situations that don’t involve actual unlawful contact: a threatening gesture without contact (assault-like), a voluntary admission of guilt (unrelated to contact), and an accidental touch (generally not battery).