It seems U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) has gotten himself into a bit of a pickle while on the Georgia Tech campus supporting his friend and fellow Republican, gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp. Nathan Knauf, a Georgia Tech student, was attempting to ask the senator how he could endorse Kemp, who some claim is attempting to disenfranchise black voters. Knauf was attempting to get the answer recorded on his cell phone. Perdue then snatched the cell phone out of Kemp’s hand, touching him in the process.

Battery is defined as unwanted physical contact in a harmful or offensive manner. It need not cause physical harm, but must be intentional. Contact may be either to the person or that person’s extended personality. In this case, though Perdue did touch Knauf’s hand, he also touched Knauf’s cell phone. Cell phones, when held, have repeatedly been deemed an extended personality by courts.

Maybe It’s Even Robbery?

Perdue may actually be getting off easy on this one. California courts have ruled that grabbing a cell phone from someone’s hand is robbery. Robbery, a criminal act, occurs when a person takes property from another person against that person’s will through violence, force, intimidation, or threats.

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