Castle doctrine; right to use physical force against an intruder, immune from civil liability. (HB854)

Introduced By

Del. Will Morefield (R-North Tazewell)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Castle doctrine.  Encodes a version of the "castle doctrine," allowing the use of physical force, including deadly force, against an intruder or attacker, with no duty to retreat and without criminal or civil liability. Read the Bill »

Status

03/03/2010: Failed to Pass in Committee

History

DateAction
01/13/2010Committee
01/13/2010Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/13/10 10103485D
01/13/2010Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
01/19/2010Assigned Courts sub: Criminal
02/03/2010Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (4-Y 2-N)
02/10/2010Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (16-Y 5-N) (see vote tally)
02/10/2010Committee substitute printed 10104769D-H1
02/12/2010Read first time
02/15/2010Read second time
02/15/2010Committee substitute agreed to 10104769D-H1
02/15/2010Pending question ordered
02/15/2010Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB854H1
02/16/2010Read third time and passed House (75-Y 24-N)
02/16/2010VOTE: --- PASSAGE (75-Y 24-N) (see vote tally)
02/17/2010Constitutional reading dispensed
02/17/2010Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
03/03/2010Passed by indefinitely in Courts of Justice (9-Y 6-N) (see vote tally)

Video

This bill was discussed on the floor of the General Assembly. Below is all of the video that we have of that discussion, 7 clips in all, totaling 14 minutes.

Comments

kelly logwood writes:

THIS BILL NEEDS TO BE PASSED NOW!!MY HOME WAS ROBBED AND WHILE TAKING A CONCEALED WEAPONS COURSE I FOUND OUT THAT I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE RIGHT TO PROTECT MYSELF IN MY OWN HOME AND THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE....NO.NO.NO.....

Randy Sisk writes:

Virginia has many laws friendly to gun owners. However, when it comes to defending oneself, we have laws resembling New Hampshire, Vermont, California and even D.C. The state let's us buy them, but it won't let us use them when it counts. As the Connecticut general assembly said, "Castle laws" remove the duty to retreat from an illegal intruder when one is lawfully in one's home. Why is this so hard to pass in Virginia?