Bill Text: CA SB870 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Domestic violence.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2016-11-30 - From Assembly without further action. [SB870 Detail]
Download: California-2015-SB870-Amended.html
BILL NUMBER: SB 870 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE FEBRUARY 22, 2016
INTRODUCED BY Senator Roth
JANUARY 12, 2016
An act to amend Section 273.5 of the Penal Code, relating to
domestic violence.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 870, as amended, Roth. Domestic violence.
Existing law makes it a crime, punishable by a fine, by
imprisonment, or by both a fine and imprisonment, for a person to
willfully inflict corporal injury injury,
including, but not limited to, by strangulation or suffocation,
resulting in a traumatic condition upon a person with whom the
defendant has been in a specified domestic relationship.
This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these
provisions.
This bill would make it a crime, punishable by a fine, by
imprisonment, or by both a fine and imprisonment, for a person to
willfully inflict corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition
by strangulation or suffocation upon a person with whom the defendant
has been in a specified domestic relationship. By increasing the
duties of local prosecutors, the bill would impose a state-mandated
local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this
act for a specified reason.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no
yes . State-mandated local program: no
yes .
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 273.5 of the Penal
Code is amended to read:
273.5. (a) (1) Any person who willfully
inflicts corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition upon a
victim described in subdivision (b) is guilty of a felony, and upon
conviction thereof shall be punished by imprisonment in the state
prison for two, three, or four years, or in a county jail for not
more than one year, or by a fine of up to six thousand dollars
($6,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(2) Any person who willfully inflicts corporal injury resulting in
a traumatic condition upon a victim described in subdivision (b),
where the corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition is
caused in whole or in part by strangulation or suffocation, is guilty
of a felony, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by
imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years, or in
a county jail for not more than one year, or by a fine of up to six
thousand dollars ($6,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment. For
purposes of this paragraph, "strangulation" and "suffocation"
include impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of
a person by applying pressure on the throat or neck.
(b) Subdivision (a) shall apply if the victim is or was one or
more of the following:
(1) The offender's spouse or former spouse.
(2) The offender's cohabitant or former cohabitant.
(3) The offender's fiancé or fiancée, or someone with whom the
offender has, or previously had, an engagement or dating
relationship, as defined in paragraph (10) of subdivision (f) of
Section 243.
(4) The mother or father of the offender's child.
(c) Holding oneself out to be the husband or wife of the person
with whom one is cohabiting is not necessary to constitute
cohabitation as the term is used in this section.
(d) As used in this section, "traumatic condition" means a
condition of the body, such as a wound, or external or internal
injury, including, but not limited to, injury as a result of
strangulation or suffocation, whether of a minor or
serious nature, caused by a physical force. For purposes of
this section, "strangulation" and "suffocation" include impeding the
normal breathing or circulation of the blood of a person by applying
pressure on the throat or neck.
(e) For the purpose of this section, a person shall be considered
the father or mother of another person's child if the alleged male
parent is presumed the natural father under Sections 7611 and 7612 of
the Family Code.
(f) (1) Any person convicted of violating this section for acts
occurring within seven years of a previous conviction under
subdivision (a), or subdivision (d) of Section 243, or Section 243.4,
244, 244.5, or 245, shall be punished by imprisonment in a county
jail for not more than one year, or by imprisonment in the state
prison for two, four, or five years, or by both imprisonment and a
fine of up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
(2) Any person convicted of a violation of this section for acts
occurring within seven years of a previous conviction under
subdivision (e) of Section 243 shall be punished by imprisonment in
the state prison for two, three, or four years, or in a county jail
for not more than one year, or by a fine of up to ten thousand
dollars ($10,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.
(g) If probation is granted to any person convicted under
subdivision (a), the court shall impose probation consistent with the
provisions of Section 1203.097.
(h) If probation is granted, or the execution or imposition of a
sentence is suspended, for any defendant convicted under subdivision
(a) who has been convicted of any prior offense specified in
subdivision (f), the court shall impose one of the following
conditions of probation:
(1) If the defendant has suffered one prior conviction within the
previous seven years for a violation of any offense specified in
subdivision (f), it shall be a condition of probation, in addition to
the provisions contained in Section 1203.097, that he or she be
imprisoned in a county jail for not less than 15 days.
(2) If the defendant has suffered two or more prior convictions
within the previous seven years for a violation of any offense
specified in subdivision (f), it shall be a condition of probation,
in addition to the provisions contained in Section 1203.097, that he
or she be imprisoned in a county jail for not less than 60 days.
(3) The court, upon a showing of good cause, may find that the
mandatory imprisonment required by this subdivision shall not be
imposed and shall state on the record its reasons for finding good
cause.
(i) If probation is granted upon conviction of a violation of
subdivision (a), the conditions of probation may include, consistent
with the terms of probation imposed pursuant to Section 1203.097, in
lieu of a fine, one or both of the following requirements:
(1) That the defendant make payments to a battered women's
shelter, up to a maximum of five thousand dollars ($5,000), pursuant
to Section 1203.097.
(2) (A) That the defendant reimburse the victim for reasonable
costs of counseling and other reasonable expenses that the court
finds are the direct result of the defendant's offense.
(B) For any order to pay a fine, make payments to a battered women'
s shelter, or pay restitution as a condition of probation under this
subdivision, the court shall make a determination of the defendant's
ability to pay. An order to make payments to a battered women's
shelter shall not be made if it would impair the ability of the
defendant to pay direct restitution to the victim or court-ordered
child support. If the injury to a married person is caused in whole
or in part by the criminal acts of his or her spouse in violation of
this section, the community property may not be used to discharge the
liability of the offending spouse for restitution to the injured
spouse, required by Section 1203.04, as operative on or before August
2, 1995, or Section 1202.4, or to a shelter for costs with regard to
the injured spouse and dependents, required by this section, until
all separate property of the offending spouse is exhausted.
(j) Upon conviction under subdivision (a), the sentencing court
shall also consider issuing an order restraining the defendant from
any contact with the victim, which may be valid for up to 10 years,
as determined by the court. It is the intent of the Legislature that
the length of any restraining order be based upon the seriousness of
the facts before the court, the probability of future violations, and
the safety of the victim and his or her immediate family. This
protective order may be issued by the court whether the defendant is
sentenced to state prison or county jail, or if imposition of
sentence is suspended and the defendant is placed on probation.
(k) If a peace officer makes an arrest for a violation of this
section, the peace officer is not required to inform the victim of
his or her right to make a citizen's arrest pursuant to subdivision
(b) of Section 836.
SEC. 2. No reimbursement is required by this act
pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local
agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a
new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or
changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of
Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a
crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the
California Constitution.
SECTION 1. Section 273.5 of the Penal Code is
amended to read:
273.5. (a) Every person who willfully inflicts corporal injury
that results in a traumatic condition upon a victim described in
subdivision (b) is guilty of a felony, and upon conviction thereof
shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three,
or four years, or in a county jail for not more than one year, or by
a fine of up to six thousand dollars ($6,000), or by both that fine
and imprisonment.
(b) Subdivision (a) applies if the victim is or was one or more of
the following:
(1) The offender's spouse or former spouse.
(2) The offender's cohabitant or former cohabitant.
(3) The offender's fiancé or fiancée, or someone with whom the
offender has, or previously had, an engagement or dating
relationship, as defined in paragraph (10) of subdivision (f) of
Section 243.
(4) The mother or father of the offender's child.
(c) Holding oneself out to be the husband or wife of the person
with whom one is cohabiting is not necessary to constitute
cohabitation as that term is used in this section.
(d) As used in this section, "traumatic condition" means a
condition of the body, such as a wound, or external or internal
injury, including, but not limited to, injury as a result of
strangulation or suffocation, whether of a minor or serious nature,
caused by a physical force. For purposes of this section,
"strangulation" and "suffocation" include impeding the normal
breathing or circulation of the blood of a person by applying
pressure on the throat or neck.
(e) For the purpose of this section, a person shall be considered
the father or mother of another person's child if the alleged male
parent is presumed the natural father under Sections 7611 and 7612 of
the Family Code.
(f) (1) Every person convicted of violating this section for acts
occurring within seven years of a previous conviction under
subdivision (a), or subdivision (d) of Section 243, or Section 243.4,
244, 244.5, or 245, shall be punished by imprisonment in a county
jail for not more than one year, or by imprisonment in the state
prison for two, four, or five years, or by both imprisonment and a
fine of up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
(2) Every person convicted of a violation of this section for acts
occurring within seven years of a previous conviction under
subdivision (e) of Section 243 shall be punished by imprisonment in
the state prison for two, three, or four years, or in a county jail
for not more than one year, or by a fine of up to ten thousand
dollars ($10,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.
(g) If probation is granted to a person convicted under
subdivision (a), the court shall impose probation consistent with the
provisions of Section 1203.097.
(h) If probation is granted, or the execution or imposition of a
sentence is suspended, for a defendant convicted under subdivision
(a) who has been convicted of a prior offense specified in
subdivision (f), the court shall impose one of the following
conditions of probation:
(1) If the defendant has suffered one prior conviction within the
previous seven years for a violation of an offense specified in
subdivision (f), it shall be a condition of probation, in addition to
the provisions contained in Section 1203.097, that he or she be
imprisoned in a county jail for not less than 15 days.
(2) If the defendant has suffered two or more prior convictions
within the previous seven years for a violation of an offense
specified in subdivision (f), it shall be a condition of probation,
in addition to the provisions contained in Section 1203.097, that he
or she be imprisoned in a county jail for not less than 60 days.
(3) The court, upon a showing of good cause, may find that the
mandatory imprisonment required by this subdivision shall not be
imposed and shall state on the record its reasons for finding good
cause.
(i) If probation is granted upon conviction of a violation of
subdivision (a), the conditions of probation may include, consistent
with the terms of probation imposed pursuant to Section 1203.097, in
lieu of a fine, one or both of the following requirements:
(1) That the defendant make payments to a battered women's
shelter, up to a maximum of five thousand dollars ($5,000), pursuant
to Section 1203.097.
(2) (A) That the defendant reimburse the victim for reasonable
costs of counseling and other reasonable expenses that the court
finds are the direct result of the defendant's offense.
(B) For an order to pay a fine, make payments to a battered women'
s shelter, or pay restitution as a condition of probation under this
subdivision, the court shall make a determination of the defendant's
ability to pay. An order to make payments to a battered women's
shelter shall not be made if it would impair the ability of the
defendant to pay direct restitution to the victim or court-ordered
child support. If the injury to a married person is caused in whole
or in part by the criminal acts of his or her spouse in violation of
this section, the community property may not be used to discharge the
liability of the offending spouse for restitution to the injured
spouse, required by Section 1203.04, as operative on or before August
2, 1995, or Section 1202.4, or to a shelter for costs with regard to
the injured spouse and dependents, required by this section, until
all separate property of the offending spouse is exhausted.
(j) Upon conviction under subdivision (a), the sentencing court
shall also consider issuing an order restraining the defendant from
any contact with the victim, which may be valid for up to 10 years,
as determined by the court. It is the intent of the Legislature that
the length of any restraining order be based upon the seriousness of
the facts before the court, the probability of future violations, and
the safety of the victim and his or her immediate family. This
protective order may be issued by the court whether the defendant is
sentenced to state prison or county jail, or if imposition of
sentence is suspended and the defendant is placed on probation.
(k) If a peace officer makes an arrest for a violation of this
section, the peace officer is not required to inform the victim of
his or her right to make a citizen's arrest pursuant to subdivision
(b) of Section 836.
