<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">You are asking a loaded question so I will have to answer it on a few layers.<div class="">First of all, I’m not sure what YOU mean by a verbal assault.</div><div class="">The legal definition of assault varies from state to state but generally: </div><div class=""><b style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif;" class="">Simple assault</b><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> is an attempt to do a serious bodily harm to another person,</span></div><div class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">or actually committing an act to put another in fear of serious bodily injury. </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> </span></div><div class=""><b style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif;" class="">Simple assault</b><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> is usually classified as a misdemeanor.</span></div><div class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">So if by verbal assault, a husband or wife (without touching each other), puts</span></div><div class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">the other in fear of being hurt, then it meets the criteria of a crime (misdemeanor)</span></div><div class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">and in most states mandates an arrest.</span></div><div class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">With that scenario, yes, I would say the same for a spouse who verbally assaults the other.</span></div><div class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">What most lay people confuse assault with is a BATTERY which</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> is any unlawful offensive physical contact </span></div><div class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">with another person, with or without his or her consent. ... Unlike the crime of assault, </span><b style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif;" class="">battery</b><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> requires that actual contact is made, </span></div><div class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">while assault </span><b style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif;" class="">charges</b><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> can be brought with only the threat of violence.</span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><font color="#222222" face="arial, sans-serif" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" class="">Though it may seem extreme to say that you don’t deserve your spouse if you commit a simple assault or battery, our own sages</span></font></span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><font color="#222222" face="arial, sans-serif" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" class="">have said that if your wife burns your food, you have every right to divorce her.</span></font></span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><font color="#222222" face="arial, sans-serif" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" class="">I think it boils down to the specifics and whole picture of each case.</span></font></span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><font color="#222222" face="arial, sans-serif" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" class=""><br class=""></span></font></span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><font color="#222222" face="arial, sans-serif" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" class="">I believe your question may have meant what if a spouse speaks disparagingly to his/her spouse.</span></font></span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><font color="#222222" face="arial, sans-serif" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" class="">In other words, what if a husband demeans his wife and calls her stupid or ugly, etc.</span></font></span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><font color="#222222" face="arial, sans-serif" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" class="">My feeling is that you are dealing with the tip of the iceberg and most likely you have a bad marriage</span></font></span></div><div class=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><font color="#222222" face="arial, sans-serif" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" class="">and a dysfunctional relationship.</span></font></span></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""><div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Dec 20, 2018, at 1:03 AM, Alexander Seinfeld <<a href="mailto:seinfeld@daasbooks.com" class="">seinfeld@daasbooks.com</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div class=""><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class="">I have no sympathy for a husband who assaults his wife or a wife who<br class="">assaults her husband. If you assault your spouse, you do not deserve<br class="">your spouse.<br class=""></blockquote><br class="">Would you say the same for a spouse who assaults his/her spouse verbally?<br class=""><br class=""><br class=""></div></div></blockquote></div><br class=""></div></body></html>