What is the definition of Attempted Battery?

Attempted battery refers to an intention to cause physical harm to another individual, coupled with a direct act towards that goal, even if the physical contact does not occur. In the context of criminal law, this encompasses actions that demonstrate a willingness to engage in violence, creating a reasonable apprehension of immediate harm or contact.

The definition aligns with the concept of assault, which is the threat or attempt to inflict injury or unwanted physical contact on another person. Thus, while the individual may not have successfully committed battery, their intention and actions taken towards achieving that harmful outcome categorized it as attempted battery.

The other options do not fit this definition since they pertain to different criminal acts, such as theft, which involves unlawfully taking someone else's property; fraud, which involves deceit for financial or personal gain; and vandalism, which involves the destruction of property. These actions do not involve the specific intent to inflict physical harm or the immediate threat that defines attempted battery.