Senate Bill sb1328

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    Florida Senate - 2003                                  SB 1328

    By Senator Fasano





    11-998-03

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to criminal offenses; creating

  3         s. 775.0847; providing for the reclassification

  4         of felonies committed against the elderly or

  5         disabled; amending s. 784.08; providing for the

  6         reclassification of misdemeanors committed

  7         against persons 65 years of age or older;

  8         amending s. 812.0145; providing for a mandatory

  9         term of imprisonment for certain thefts against

10         persons 65 years of age or older; amending s.

11         825.103; providing for a mandatory term of

12         imprisonment for certain acts of exploitation

13         against an elderly person or disabled adult;

14         providing an effective date.

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16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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18         Section 1.  This act may be cited as "The Seniors'

19  Safety Act of 2003."

20         Section 2.  Section 775.0847, Florida Statutes, is

21  created to read:

22         775.0847  Felonies committed against the elderly or

23  disabled; reclassification of offenses.--Whenever a person is

24  charged with committing a felony offense upon a person 65

25  years of age or older or an elderly person or disabled adult

26  as defined in chapter 825, regardless of whether he or she

27  knows or has reason to know the age, infirmity, or disability

28  of the victim, the offense for which the person is charged

29  shall be reclassified as follows:

30         (1)  In the case of a felony of the third degree, the

31  offense is reclassified to a felony of the second degree.

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    Florida Senate - 2003                                  SB 1328
    11-998-03




  1         (2)  In the case of a felony of the second degree, the

  2  offense is reclassified to a felony of the first degree.

  3         (3)  In the case of a felony of the first degree, the

  4  offense is reclassified to a felony of the first degree,

  5  punishable by life imprisonment.

  6         Section 3.  Subsection (2) of section 784.08, Florida

  7  Statutes, is amended to read:

  8         784.08  Assault or battery on persons 65 years of age

  9  or older; reclassification of offenses; minimum sentence.--

10         (2)  Whenever a person is charged with committing an

11  assault or aggravated assault or a battery or aggravated

12  battery upon a person 65 years of age or older, regardless of

13  whether he or she knows or has reason to know the age of the

14  victim, the offense for which the person is charged shall be

15  reclassified as follows:

16         (a)  In the case of aggravated battery, from a felony

17  of the second degree to a felony of the first degree.

18         (b)  In the case of aggravated assault, from a felony

19  of the third degree to a felony of the second degree.

20         (a)(c)  In the case of battery, from a misdemeanor of

21  the first degree to a felony of the third degree.

22         (b)(d)  In the case of assault, from a misdemeanor of

23  the second degree to a misdemeanor of the first degree.

24         Section 4.  Subsection (2) of section 812.0145, Florida

25  Statutes, is amended to read:

26         812.0145  Theft from persons 65 years of age or older;

27  reclassification of offenses.--

28         (2)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the

29  funds, assets, or property involved in a theft from a person

30  65 years of age or older is valued at $10,000 or more, the

31  court must sentence the offender to a mandatory minimum

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    Florida Senate - 2003                                  SB 1328
    11-998-03




  1  sentence of 3 years imprisonment.  However, the mandatory term

  2  of imprisonment does not apply to the theft of one or more

  3  motor vehicles, regardless of associated value. Whenever a

  4  person is charged with committing theft from a person 65 years

  5  of age or older, when he or she knows or has reason to believe

  6  that the victim was 65 years of age or older, the offense for

  7  which the person is charged shall be reclassified as follows:

  8         (a)  This subsection does not prevent a court from

  9  imposing a greater sentence of incarceration as authorized by

10  law. If the funds, assets, or property involved in the theft

11  from a person 65 years of age or older is valued at $50,000 or

12  more, the offender commits a felony of the first degree,

13  punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s.

14  775.084.

15         (b)  If the minimum mandatory terms of imprisonment

16  imposed pursuant to this section exceed the maximum sentences

17  authorized by s. 775.082, s. 775.084, or the Criminal

18  Punishment Code under chapter 921, the mandatory minimum

19  sentence must be imposed.  If the mandatory minimum terms of

20  imprisonment pursuant to this section are less than the

21  sentences that could be imposed as authorized by s. 775.082,

22  s. 775.084, or the Criminal Punishment Code under chapter 921,

23  the sentence imposed by the court must include the mandatory

24  minimum term of imprisonment as required in this section. If

25  the funds, assets, or property involved in the theft from a

26  person 65 years of age or older is valued at $10,000 or more,

27  but less than $50,000, the offender commits a felony of the

28  second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s.

29  775.083, or s. 775.084.

30         (c)  If the funds, assets, or property involved in the

31  theft from a person 65 years of age or older is valued at $300

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    Florida Senate - 2003                                  SB 1328
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  1  or more, but less than $10,000, the offender commits a felony

  2  of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s.

  3  775.083, or s. 775.084.

  4         Section 5.  Subsections (3) and (4) are added to

  5  section 825.103, Florida Statutes, to read:

  6         825.103  Exploitation of an elderly person or disabled

  7  adult; penalties.--

  8         (3)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the

  9  funds, assets, or property involved in the exploitation of an

10  elderly person or a disabled adult is valued at $10,000 or

11  more, the court must sentence the offender to a mandatory

12  minimum sentence of 3 years imprisonment.

13         (4)  Nothing in this subsection prevents a court from

14  imposing a greater sentence of incarceration as authorized by

15  law.  If the minimum mandatory terms of imprisonment imposed

16  pursuant to this section exceed the maximum sentences

17  authorized by s. 775.082, s. 775.084, or the Criminal

18  Punishment Code under chapter 921, the mandatory minimum

19  sentence must be imposed.  If the mandatory minimum terms of

20  imprisonment pursuant to this section are less than the

21  sentences that could be imposed as authorized by s. 775.082,

22  s. 775.084, or the Criminal Punishment Code under chapter 921,

23  the sentence imposed by the court must include the mandatory

24  minimum term of imprisonment as required in this section.

25         Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.

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    Florida Senate - 2003                                  SB 1328
    11-998-03




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  2                          SENATE SUMMARY

  3    Provides for the reclassification of felonies committed
      against an elderly person or a disabled adult. Provides
  4    for the reclassification of misdemeanors for battery and
      assault committed against persons 65 years of age or
  5    older. Provides for a mandatory term of imprisonment for
      certain thefts and acts of exploitation committed against
  6    persons 65 years of age or older.

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