{"id":26633,"date":"2024-06-25T08:31:50","date_gmt":"2024-06-25T08:31:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/?p=26633"},"modified":"2024-07-29T10:34:47","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T10:34:47","slug":"what-penal-code-spousal-battery-punishment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/news\/what-penal-code-spousal-battery-punishment\/","title":{"rendered":"Legal Aspects &#038; Consequences of Spousal Battery"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-26635\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/San-Diego-domestic-battery-Attorney.jpg\" alt=\"San Diego domestic battery Attorney\" width=\"1000\" height=\"668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/San-Diego-domestic-battery-Attorney.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/San-Diego-domestic-battery-Attorney-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/San-Diego-domestic-battery-Attorney-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>While disputes are commonplace in any relationship, sometimes they can escalate into something more severe. Unfortunately, in the instance of domestic violence cases, \u201csometimes\u201d can be translated into \u201cvery often\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The very nature of these crimes makes them universally frowned upon by the California legal system, which is reflected in the fact that the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/domestic-violence\/domestic-battery\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">defense against DV accusations<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is virtually impossible without the aid of an adept <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">San Diego domestic battery attorney<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Furthermore, if sentenced, the punishment for spousal battery can be severe, carrying high fines and long jail times. Today, we\u2019ll be exploring the legal aspect of spousal battery and its implications for the perpetrator.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is the penal code for spousal battery in California?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spousal battery is charged under California Penal Code (PC) \u00a7243(e)(1). Under this law, a person can be arrested and charged with battery to a spouse if the following elements of the crime are present:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The crime is committed intentionally and without legal justification (e.g. not to defend oneself or others);<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There was forceful or violent physical contact inflicted upon the victim;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The victim is a current or former relationship partner (e.g. spouse, fianc\u00e9\/fiance\u00e9, co-parent, cohabitant, long-term boyfriend\/girlfriend, etc.)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is the punishment for battery in California?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Typically, spousal battery is charged as a misdemeanor but it can escalate to a felony, depending on the specific circumstances of the case and the presence of aggravating factors, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using a weapon during an incident;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The victim sustained serious injuries;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The perpetrator has previous convictions of domestic violence or other violent crimes;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Battery occurred in violation of an existing restraining order;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The crime was committed in front of children;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Battery is\/was part of an ongoing cycle of abuse.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is battery a misdemeanor in California?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If there are no aggravating factors present and the victim suffered minor injuries only (e.g. bruising, scratches, redness, etc.) or no injuries at all, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/news\/punishment-prison-jail-child-abuse-california\/\">perpetrator will typically be charged<\/a> with simple domestic battery. This offense is a misdemeanor carrying the following penalties:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Fines: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Up to $2,000;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Jail time:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Up to one year in county jail;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Informal probation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Up to three years.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two things to note here: First, if probation is granted as a part of the sentence, the perpetrator will be obligated to complete a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.saccourt.ca.gov\/criminal\/batterers-treatment.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Batterer Treatment Program<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which lasts for one year. In addition, they may be legally required to cover any expenses that the victim incurred as a result of battery.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When is domestic battery a felony?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If aggravating factors are present and a victim sustained serious injuries (e.g. fractures, concussions, deep lacerations, permanent disfigurement, etc.), the perpetrator may be charged with aggravated battery or corporal injury.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Aggravated battery<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a \u201cwobbler\u201d case, meaning that the persecution can pursue it either as a misdemeanor or felony:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Misdemeanor aggravated battery<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can result in fines of up to $1,000 and\/or up to a year in county jail.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Felony aggravated battery<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can result in fines of up to $10,000 and\/or 2, 3, or 4 years in state prison.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the victim sustained severe bodily injuries as a result of battery, further enhancements of 3 to 6 years in state prison apply.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Corporal injury<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is also a \u201cwobbler\u201d and the sentence will depend on how it\u2019s tried:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Misdemeanor corporal injury<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can result in up to one year in county jail and\/or a fine of up to $6,000.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Felony corporal injury<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can result in 2, 3, or 4 years in state prison and\/or a fine of up to $6,000.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similarly to aggravated battery, further enhancements may apply in the form of additional prison time or fines, restraining orders, a lifetime ban on owning firearms, and loss of professional licenses.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can I drop battery charges in California?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The simple answer is \u201cno\u201d. Once the victim reports the crime to the police or relevant authorities, the decision is effectively out of the victim&#8217;s hands. After an accusation has been made, only the prosecuting attorney (district attorney or prosecutor) can drop the domestic battery charges.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where can I find a reliable <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">San Diego domestic battery attorney near me<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Downtown_San_Diego\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Downtown San Diego<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or the rest of the County, you won\u2019t find anyone better to entrust with domestic violence defense than Monder Criminal Lawyer Group. For years, we\u2019ve been offering mindful legal aid and fierce representation in all aspects of the CA DV law, ranging from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/news\/what-spouse-battery-definition-meaning-example\/\">complex spousal battery accusations<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to <\/span>sensitive elderly abuse allegations<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to the most difficult <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/news\/what-child-abuse-law-california-pc-273d\/\">child abuse and endangerment cases<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Contact us today and ensure you have a partner that stops at nothing to ensure a favorable outcome for your case!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While disputes are commonplace in any relationship, sometimes they can escalate into something more severe. Unfortunately, in the instance of domestic violence cases, \u201csometimes\u201d can be translated into \u201cvery often\u201d. The very nature of these crimes makes them universally frowned upon by the California legal system, which is reflected in the fact that the defense [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26635,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Punishment for Spousal Battery | San Diego Domestic Battery Attorney<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Which part of the CA Penal Code governs spousal battery charges and sentencing &amp; what are the penalties for this crime? 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