HB935: Assault and battery; adult allows child to be present during assault, guilty of Class 6 felony.

HB935

HOUSE BILL NO. 935 Offered January 13, 2010 Prefiled January 13, 2010 A BILL to amend and reenact § 18.2-57.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to assault and battery against family or household member; child present; penalty. ---------- Patron-- Bell, Robert B. ---------- Committee Referral Pending ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 18.2-57.2 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 18.2-57.2. Assault and battery against a family or household member; penalty.

A. Any person who commits an assault and battery against a family or household member is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

B. Upon a conviction for assault and battery against a family or household member, where it is alleged in the warrant, petition, information, or indictment on which a person is convicted, that such person has been previously convicted of two offenses against a family or household member of (i) assault and battery against a family or household member in violation of this section, (ii) malicious wounding in violation of § 18.2-51, (iii) aggravated malicious wounding in violation of § 18.2-51.2, (iv) malicious bodily injury by means of a substance in violation of § 18.2-52, or (v) an offense under the law of any other jurisdiction which has the same elements of any of the above offenses, in any combination, all of which occurred within a period of 20 years, and each of which occurred on a different date, such person is guilty of a Class 6 felony.

C. Any person 18 years of age or older who maintains a custodial relationship over a child under the age of 18, including but not limited to a parent, stepparent, grandparent, or stepgrandparent, or who stands in loco parentis with respect to such child, and who knowingly allows that child to be present in the same dwelling, apartment as defined in § 55-79.2, unit of a hotel as defined in § 35.1-1, garage, shed, or vehicle during the assault and battery of a family or household member shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony.

D. Whenever a warrant for a violation of this section is issued, the magistrate shall issue an emergency protective order as authorized by § 16.1-253.4, except if the defendant is a minor, an emergency protective order shall not be required.

DE. The definition of "family or household member" in § 16.1-228 applies to this section.

2. That the provisions of this act may result in a net increase in periods of imprisonment or commitment. Pursuant to § 30-19.1:4, the estimated amount of the necessary appropriation cannot be determined for periods of imprisonment in state adult correctional facilities; therefore, Chapter 781 of the Acts of Assembly of 2009 requires the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission to assign a minimum fiscal impact of $50,000. Pursuant to § 30-19.1:4, the estimated amount of the necessary appropriation is $0 for periods of commitment to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Explanation

For a plain English description of this bill, comments, voting, tagging, etc., return to the main page for HB935.

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