Florida Senate - 2008 (Reformatted) SB 968

By Senator Joyner

18-02708-08 2008968__

1

A bill to be entitled

2

An act relating to use of deadly force; amending s.

3

776.013, F.S.; requiring an overt act to support a belief

4

that the use of deadly force for specified purposes is

5

necessary; amending s. 776.032, F.S.; providing that

6

immunity from civil and criminal liability for certain

7

uses of deadly force does not apply to injuries to

8

children and bystanders who are not affiliated with the

9

overt act; providing an effective date.

10

11

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

12

13

     Section 1.  Subsection (3) of section 776.013, Florida

14

Statutes, is amended to read:

15

     776.013  Home protection; use of deadly force; presumption

16

of fear of death or great bodily harm.--

17

     (3) A person who is not engaged in criminal an unlawful

18

activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she

19

has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to

20

stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including

21

deadly force if he or she reasonably believes due to an overt act

22

that it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily

23

harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the

24

commission of a forcible felony.

25

     Section 2.  Subsection (1) of section 776.032, Florida

26

Statutes, is amended to read:

27

     776.032  Immunity from criminal prosecution and civil action

28

for justifiable use of force.--

29

     (1)  A person who uses force as permitted in s. 776.012, s.

30

776.013, or s. 776.031 is justified in using such force and is

31

immune from criminal prosecution and civil action for the use of

32

such force; however, such immunity does not apply to injuries to

33

children and bystanders who are not affiliated with the overt

34

act. Immunity will be granted, unless the person against whom

35

force was used is a law enforcement officer, as defined in s.

36

943.10(14), who was acting in the performance of his or her

37

official duties and the officer identified himself or herself in

38

accordance with any applicable law or the person using force knew

39

or reasonably should have known that the person was a law

40

enforcement officer. As used in this subsection, the term

41

"criminal prosecution" includes arresting, detaining in custody,

42

and charging or prosecuting the defendant.

43

     Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.