{"id":26634,"date":"2024-06-25T08:34:33","date_gmt":"2024-06-25T08:34:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/?p=26634"},"modified":"2024-07-29T10:32:10","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T10:32:10","slug":"what-spouse-battery-definition-meaning-example","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/news\/what-spouse-battery-definition-meaning-example\/","title":{"rendered":"Definition &#038; Meaning of Spousal Battery"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-26638\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/San-Diego-domestic-battery-Lawyer.jpg\" alt=\"San Diego domestic battery Lawyer\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/San-Diego-domestic-battery-Lawyer.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/San-Diego-domestic-battery-Lawyer-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/San-Diego-domestic-battery-Lawyer-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>According to statistics, offenses pertaining to domestic violence (DV) account for approximately 20% of all violent crimes reported in California. Every day, local DV hotlines receive an average of ~20,000 calls &#8211; and instances of spousal battery make up the majority of them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This effectively places the domestic battery among the most common DV offenses in the State. However, despite the preponderance and implications, most individuals still do not know what constitutes this crime.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/news\/what-penal-code-spousal-battery-punishment\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">being sentenced for spousal battery can have severe repercussions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and necessitate the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/domestic-violence\/domestic-battery\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mindful and strategic legal aid<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the experienced <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">San Diego domestic battery lawyer<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to even stand a chance at defense, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with its definition and meaning.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How does California define battery?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In California, the definition of spousal battery is as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Spousal battery<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (\u201cdomestic battery\u201d; \u201cbattery to spouse\u201d) is any willful and unlawful touching, use of force, or violence upon a current or former intimate partner, against his or her will, with the intention of inflicting offense or bodily harm upon them.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is the meaning of spouse battery?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From the previous definition, we can extrapolate the elements of this crime:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>\u201cwillful and unlawful touching, use of force, or violence\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; the act must be intentional (not accidental) and performed without legal justification (e.g. not done in self-defense or to protect the other person);<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>\u201ccurrent or former intimate partner\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; the crime is not restricted to a spouse but, rather, pertains to the current or former spouse, fianc\u00e9e or fianc\u00e9, cohabitant, relationship partner, or the other parent of a child;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>\u201cintention of inflicting offense or bodily harm\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; any form of touching, no matter how slight, can be considered battery if it is done in an aggressive, rude, or disrespectful manner.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the most important thing to note here is that, unlike corporal injury, the crime of spousal battery does not require the victim to be physically injured &#8211; proving that the person used force or violence with intent is enough for conviction.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is an example of battery?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some real-world examples of what can be considered a crime of domestic battery in California:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Hitting: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A wife slaps the husband across the face, scratching their cheek;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Grabbing: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A boyfriend grabs his long-term girlfriend by the shoulders with excessive force, causing pain and bruising;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Shoving: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A man pushes his ex-wife, causing her to fall over and injure her arm;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Kicking:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> One partner kicks another in the leg, causing bruising and swelling;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Throwing objects:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A woman throws a glass at her partner, hitting them in the head and causing a cut;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Choking:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A man puts his hands around their former partner\u2019s neck, restricting breathing;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Spitting: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One person spits on another during an argument, and the spit lands on their face or body.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may have noticed that none of the above examples involves any type of verbal abuse, such as insulting or slurring. Although it might seem counterintuitive, verbal abuse does not constitute spousal battery, no matter how distressing or harmful. Only instances involving physical contact count as domestic battery, whether they be direct (slapping, kicking, etc.) or indirect (spitting, throwing objects, etc.).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is battery vs assault in California?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Assault and battery often go hand in hand, which is why these terms are frequently used interchangeably or considered to be one and the same. However, this is a common mistake, as assault and battery are two distinct offenses:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Battery<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> refers to the actual use of force or violence against another person;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Assault<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is an attempt, paired with present ability, to inflict an injury upon another person;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As such, assault can be defined as an attempt to commit battery, since it involves intentional action that would result in battery if completed, only without the actual physical contact.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where can I find a specialized <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">San Diego domestic battery lawyer near me<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re charged with any form of domestic violence, whether it be domestic battery, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/news\/what-child-abuse-law-california-pc-273d\/\">child abuse and neglect<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or <\/span>abuse of the elder<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, turning to Monder Criminal Lawyer Group is your best chance at a favorable outcome and avoiding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/news\/punishment-prison-jail-child-abuse-california\/\">severe repercussions these crimes carry<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our attorneys have extensive experience in the field of domestic violence, tailoring their strategies to the unique circumstances of each case. Contact us today to schedule an appointment, visit our offices near <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sdcourt.ca.gov\/sdcourt\/generalinformation\/courtlocations\/centralcourthouse2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Central Courthouse<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and let us fight for your future!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to statistics, offenses pertaining to domestic violence (DV) account for approximately 20% of all violent crimes reported in California. Every day, local DV hotlines receive an average of ~20,000 calls &#8211; and instances of spousal battery make up the majority of them. This effectively places the domestic battery among the most common DV offenses [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26634","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>Spousal Battery Explained | San Diego Domestic Battery Lawyer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What is the definition of spousal battery &amp; what are the elements of this crime? 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Find all the answers in this comprehensive breakdown.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/news\/what-spouse-battery-definition-meaning-example\/","og_site_name":"Monder Criminal Lawyer Group CA","article_published_time":"2024-06-25T08:34:33+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-07-29T10:32:10+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":667,"url":"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/San-Diego-domestic-battery-Lawyer.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/news\/what-spouse-battery-definition-meaning-example\/","url":"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/news\/what-spouse-battery-definition-meaning-example\/","name":"Spousal Battery Explained | San Diego Domestic Battery Lawyer","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/news\/what-spouse-battery-definition-meaning-example\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/news\/what-spouse-battery-definition-meaning-example\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/San-Diego-domestic-battery-Lawyer.jpg","datePublished":"2024-06-25T08:34:33+00:00","dateModified":"2024-07-29T10:32:10+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7f4616cba715a487c1605b93af866a74"},"description":"What is the definition of spousal battery & what are the elements of this crime? 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