South Carolina General Assembly
119th Session, 2011-2012

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Bill 854


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 16-3-600 OF THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO ASSAULT AND BATTERY OFFENSES, SO AS TO SUBSTITUTE THE TERM "A PERSON" FOR THE TERM "AN ADULT".

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Section 16-3-600(C) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(C)(1)    A person commits the offense of assault and battery in the first degree if the person unlawfully:

(a)    injures another person, and the act:

(i)    involves nonconsensual touching of the private parts of an adult a person, either under or above clothing, with lewd and lascivious intent; or

(ii)    occurred during the commission of a robbery, burglary, kidnapping, or theft; or

(b)    offers or attempts to injure another person with the present ability to do so, and the act:

(i)    is accomplished by means likely to produce death or great bodily injury; or

(ii)    occurred during the commission of a robbery, burglary, kidnapping, or theft.

(2)    A person who violates this subsection is guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned for not more than ten years.

(3)    Assault and battery in the first degree is a lesser-included offense of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, as defined in subsection (B)(1), and attempted murder, as defined in Section 16-3-29."

SECTION    2.    Section 16-3-600(D) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(D)(1)    A person commits the offense of assault and battery in the second degree if the person unlawfully injures another person, or offers or attempts to injure another person with the present ability to do so, and:

(a)    moderate bodily injury to another person results or moderate bodily injury to another person could have resulted; or

(b)    the act involves the nonconsensual touching of the private parts of an adult a person, either under or above clothing.

(2)    A person who violates this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than two thousand five hundred dollars, or imprisoned for not more than three years, or both.

(3)    Assault and battery in the second degree is a lesser-included offense of assault and battery in the first degree, as defined in subsection (C)(1), assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, as defined in subsection (B)(1), and attempted murder, as defined in Section 16-3-29."

SECTION    3.    The repeal or amendment by this act of any law, whether temporary or permanent or civil or criminal, does not affect pending actions, rights, duties, or liabilities founded thereon, or alter, discharge, release or extinguish any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred under the repealed or amended law, unless the repealed or amended provision shall so expressly provide. After the effective date of this act, all laws repealed or amended by this act must be taken and treated as remaining in full force and effect for the purpose of sustaining any pending or vested right, civil action, special proceeding, criminal prosecution, or appeal existing as of the effective date of this act, and for the enforcement of rights, duties, penalties, forfeitures, and liabilities as they stood under the repealed or amended laws.

SECTION    4.    This act takes effect upon approval of the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on April 27, 2011 at 10:06 AM