§ 13A-6-131 — Domestic Violence - Second Degree

(a)(1) A person commits the crime of domestic violence in the second degree if the person commits the crime of assault in the second degree pursuant to Section 13A-6-21; the crime of intimidating a witness pursuant to Section 13A-10-123; the crime of stalking pursuant to Section 13A-6-90; the crime of burglary in the second or third degree pursuant to Sections 13A-7-6 and 13A-7-7; or the crime of criminal mischief in the first degree pursuant to Section 13A-7-21 and the victim is a current or former spouse, parent, step-parent, child, step-child, grandparent, step-grandparent, grandchild, step-grandchild, any person with whom the defendant has a child in common, a present household member, or a person who has or had a dating relationship with the defendant.
(2) For the purposes of this section, a household member excludes non-romantic or non-intimate co-residents, and a dating relationship means a current or former relationship of a romantic or intimate nature characterized by the expectation of affectionate or sexual involvement by either party.
(b) Domestic violence in the second degree is a Class B felony, except the defendant shall serve a minimum term of imprisonment of six months without consideration of probation, parole, good time credits, or any reduction in time for any second or subsequent conviction under this subsection.
(c) The minimum term of imprisonment imposed under subsection (b) shall be double without consideration of probation, parole, good time credits, or any reduction in time if either of the following applies:
(1) A defendant willfully violates a protection order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction and in the process of violating the order commits domestic violence in the second degree.
(2) The offense was committed in the presence of a child under the age of 14 years at the time of the offense, who is the victim’s child or step-child, the defendant’s child or step-child, or who is a child residing in or visiting the household of the victim or defendant. For purposes of this subsection, “in the presence of a child” means that the child was in a position to see or hear the act.
(d) The court shall make a written finding of fact, to be made part of the record upon conviction or adjudication, of whether or not the act was committed in the presence of a child. If a defendant has a trial by jury and the jury finds the defendant guilty, the jury shall also render a special verdict as to whether or not the defendant committed the act in the presence of a child.

Legislative History

(Act 2000-266, p. 411, §2; Act 2011-581, p. 1273, §1; Act 2015-493, p. 1679, §2; Act 2018-538, §1; Act 2019-252, §1; Act 2023-494, §1.)