Substantial battery is classified as what level of offense?

• A. Petty offense
• B. Misdemeanor
• C. Class B misdemeanor
• D. Felony

Answer: (B)

Substantial battery involves harming someone in a way that meets the battery definition and causes noticeable bodily harm, but not at the level that would make it a felony. In Wisconsin, that degree of harm is treated as a misdemeanor rather than a petty offense or a felony. A petty offense covers minor violations with little or no injury, while a felony covers more serious harm or more dangerous circumstances; substantial battery sits between them, indicating clear injury but not the greater harm that would elevate it to a felony. The statute often uses the general term misdemeanor rather than a specific subclass like Class B, since the exact penalty can depend on context and judicial determination. So, the best way to understand it is that substantial battery is categorized as a misdemeanor.