AFFRAY

affray (<<schwa>>-fray). The fighting, by  mutual consent, of two  or  more persons in some

public  place, to the terror of onlookers. • The  fighting  must be  mutual. If one person unlawfully

attacks another who resorts to self-defense, the first is guilty of assault and battery, but there is no

affray.  —  Also  termed  fray.  Cf.  RIOT;  un-lawful  assembly  under  ASSEMBLY;  ROUT.  [Cases:

Criminal Law    45.15. C.J.S. Affray §§ 2–3, 5, 7, 13, 20.]

“An  affray  differs  from  a  riot,  a  rout,  or  an  unlawful  assembly  in  that  an  affray  is  not

premeditated  and  in  order  to  constitute  a  riot,  a  rout,  or  an  unlawful  assembly  at  least  three

participants are essential, while … an affray may be committed by only two. Moreover, an affray is

more of a private nature than a riot.” 2A C.J.S. Affray § 3, at 519 (1972).

“The  word  ‘affray’  comes  from  the  same  source  as  the  word  ‘afraid,’  and  the  tendency  to

alarm the community is the very essence of this offense.” Rollin M. Perkins & Ronald N. Boyce,

Criminal Law 479 (3d ed. 1982).

casual affray.See CHANCE-MEDLEY.

mutual affray.See MUTUAL COMBAT. [Blacks Law 8th]