In the context of assault, what does "recklessly causes physical injury" mean?

"Recklessly causes physical injury" refers to a situation where an individual engages in conduct that demonstrates a conscious disregard for a substantial and unjustifiable risk of causing harm to another person. This means that the individual acts in a manner that is reckless, rather than with intent, but still leads to another person being injured as a direct result of those actions.

The essence of being reckless involves the awareness of the risk involved in the conduct and choosing to proceed despite that risk, which differentiates it from mere negligence. While negligence involves failing to exercise reasonable care, recklessness indicates a degree of disregard for the potential outcomes, heightening the culpability because the individual should have known that their actions could likely cause injury.

This interpretation aligns closely with the principles of criminal law, where the distinction between different mental states (intent, recklessness, negligence) plays a crucial role in how the law categorizes and penalizes various behaviors. The focus here is not just on the outcome (the injury), but also on the defendant's state of mind and the nature of their actions leading to that injury.