Step daughter charged for starting a fight?

Unless the "friend" was saying something like, "I am going to kill you with this weapon", your step-daughter may have overstepped the law by placing a hand on the other person, let alone "throwing" her to the ground. She could be sued for any injuries she caused, not to mention convicted of assault. Her lawyer will explain all of her possible defenses and other ways to have the charges reduced if not dropped or suspended.

Yeah that's not good. That's an assult charge..maybe a different name...idk but it is FOR SURE an assult charge which LEGALLY and technically is the fault of your step daughter.

It doesn't make any difference if the other girl started it....she did not physically touch her...your step daughter COULD have left...she could have at least tried to get away from the other girl...instead, she physically assulted her but not just pushing her but hard enough to where she fell to the ground! That wasn't in ANY self defense...the other girl was just talking...EVEN IF THE OTHER GIRL DID PUSH HER..and your step daughter DID push her back...then they BOTH would have been charged because that's only assult...not self defense. The only way she could have gotten away with self defense is if the other girl pushed her to the ground...and your step daughter did NOT fight back but was protecting herself (covering her head...anything...but no pushing shoving back!). So yeah it sucks, but what can you do you know?

If she just pushed her down and backed off...and a minor...under 17...it shouldn't be too bad in court especially if she has no record of any type of aggressive behavior...etc. Honestly as long as the girl that was pushed did not have any injuries...(as opposed to hitting her head on something by accident..i mean anything could accidently happen)...if she got back up and was fine...i mean...i think it shouldn't be that bad in court. No felony...nothing that shouldn't be off her record by the time she's 18 basically. So yeah..

Unfortunately, the other girls spoken words may have been provocative, they were not a criminal offense, an assault by your stepdaughter is.