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S5617Senate2011-2012 Session

Establishes the crime of aggravated domestic violence; enacts Officer Alain Schaberger's law

Sponsor Martin J. GoldenSD-22+2 co-sponsorsAffects Legal
Status
In Senate Committee
Codes
Impact
Pending
Passage
Pending

Bill progress

Step 2 of 7

In committee · Codes

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Who cares

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Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Martin J. Golden

Senator · Senate District 22

Chair, Civil Service And Pensions

History

  1. Referred to codes
  2. Print number 5617a
  3. Amend and recommit to codes
  4. Referred to codes

Full text

The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.

Sponsor's memo

BILL NUMBER:S5617A

Title of bill

An act to amend the penal law and the criminal procedure law, in relation to the creation of the crime of aggravated domestic violence

Purpose

To create a felony-level charge for cases in which an offender is repeatedly convicted of a domestic violence offense.

Summary of provisions

Section 2 establishes the crime of aggravated domestic violence as a Class E felony and outlines the incidents that in the aggregate constitute the new offense.

Section 3 provides that a special information maybe included with an indictment of aggravated domestic violence. This section sets forth the procedure for trying the case and states that determinations made regarding certain allegations are binding in any future proceeding unless the conviction or determination is reversed or vacated.

Section 4 establishes an effective date of 90 days after passage.

Justification

From 2004 to 2009, in New York County alone, there were 622 individuals convicted of two or more domestic violence offenses. Of those 622 defendants, 221 - or .36% had at least one case with a felony-level assault charge.

Recently New York City Police Officer Alain Schaberger was killed while responding to a case of domestic violence. It is our intent to honor his memory and to help protect victims of domestic violence.

The following cases from the New York County District Attorney's Office illustrate the types of cases that prosecutors see every day:

* After a long misdemeanor domestic violence history, involving multiple assaults, violations of orders of protection, a defendant chased his girlfriend down the street with a machete, biting and clawing at her in front of her three year old child.

* Shortly after pleading guilty to assaulting his spouse in front of their children, a defendant went back to victim's apartment and hit her in the face. Only $500 cash bail was set when defendant was arrested again.

* A defendant has 132 prior convictions, many of which stemmed from assaults against his partner. The defendant recently served 9 months in jail for an assault against his daughter. Since his release on that case, the defendant has been arrested again for domestic assault.

* One repeat domestic violence offender assaults his girlfriend each time he is released from custody. Most recently, he was indicted for biting the victim's face.

* After badly beating his pregnant ex-girlfriend, a defendant was arrested. He continued to call his ex-girlfriend, threatening her from jail. He was re-arrested, and pleaded guilty to both cases.

* A defendant with two prior convictions for assaulting his girlfriend was recently rearrested and currently charged with a felony.

Legislative history

S.8038 (Squadron) - Codes; A.11365 (Rosenthal) - Codes

Fiscal implications

None.

Local fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

90 days after becoming law.

Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.