California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. I.J. (In re I.J.), A151668 (Cal. App. 2019):
"Section 245 'prohibits an assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, not the use of force which does in fact produce such injury. While . . . the results of an assault are often highly probative of the amount of force used, they cannot be conclusive.' [Citation.] Great bodily injury is bodily injury which is significant or substantial, not insignificant, trivial or moderate. [Citation.] ' "The crime . . ., like other assaults, may be committed without infliction of any physical injury, and even though no blow is actually struck. [Citation.] The issue, therefore, is not whether serious injury was caused, but whether the force used was such as would be likely to cause it." ' " (People v. McDaniel (2008) 159 Cal.App.4th 736, 748-749.)
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