Florida Senate - 2021                                     SB 552
       
       
        
       By Senator Thurston
       
       
       
       
       
       33-00332-21                                            2021552__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to assault or battery on courtroom
    3         personnel; creating s. 784.079, F.S.; defining the
    4         term “courtroom personnel”; prohibiting an assault or
    5         a battery on specified courtroom personnel; providing
    6         criminal penalties; providing an effective date.
    7          
    8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         Section 1. Section 784.079, Florida Statutes, is created to
   11  read:
   12         784.079 Assault or battery on courtroom personnel.—
   13         (1) As used in this section, the term “courtroom personnel”
   14  means any person employed by or performing contractual services
   15  in a courthouse or other judicial facility in this state and
   16  whose work is directly related to a trial, hearing, grand jury
   17  proceeding, or other judicial proceeding. The term includes
   18  attorneys, court reporters, probation officers, judges,
   19  bailiffs, and clerks.
   20         (2) It is unlawful for any person to commit an assault or a
   21  battery on courtroom personnel who he or she knows or reasonably
   22  should know to be such a person and who is acting in the course
   23  of his or her duties, regardless of whether the assault or
   24  battery occurs on the premises of a courthouse or other judicial
   25  facility.
   26         (3)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), a person who
   27  violates subsection (2) commits a felony of the third degree,
   28  punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
   29         (b) A person who commits a second or subsequent violation
   30  of subsection (2) commits a felony of the third degree,
   31  punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084,
   32  with a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 3 years.
   33         Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2021.