REPORT TITLE:
Domestic Violence; Sentencing


DESCRIPTION:
Requires courts, in imposing a sentence, to consider the fact
that the crime was committed in the presence of a minor as an
aggravating factor of the crime.  Recommends the revision of
family court sentencing guidelines to consider two additional
aggravating factors. (SB823 HD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        823
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO SENTENCING.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that in homes in which
 
 2 domestic violence occurs, children are at high-risk of suffering
 
 3 abuse themselves.  In addition, witnessing acts of domestic
 
 4 violence--whether in the form of partner violence, generalized
 
 5 hostility, or child maltreatment--is one of the best predictors
 
 6 of juvenile delinquency and adult criminality.  Regardless of
 
 7 whether children are physically abused, however, the legislature
 
 8 finds that the emotional effects of witnessing family violence
 
 9 are very similar to the psychological trauma associated with
 
10 being a victim of child abuse.
 
11      Nationally, an estimated 3.3 million children witness
 
12 domestic violence each year.  In families where domestic violence
 
13 is prevalent, the emotional and mental suffering and harm is
 
14 greater to those children who actually are present during the
 
15 battering than to those who do not witness this trauma first
 
16 hand.  Therefore, the legislature finds that when a crime of
 
17 domestic violence is committed in the presence of a child, the
 
18 batterer should receive an enhanced penalty for the added trauma
 
19 caused to the secondary victims of the offense.
 

 
Page 2                                                     823
                                     S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
                                                        H.D. 1
                                                        


 1      Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to to require judges
 
 2 when imposing a sentence for certain domestic violence offenses,
 
 3 to consider as an aggravating factor that domestic violence was
 
 4 committed in the presence of a minor.
 
 5      SECTION 2.  Chapter 706, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended
 
 6 by adding a new section to part I to be appropriately designated
 
 7 and to read as follows:
 
 8      "§706-    Sentencing in domestic violence offenses committed
 
 9 in the presence of a minor; aggravating factors.  (1)  The
 
10 following factors shall be considered by a court as an
 
11 aggravation of the offense in imposing a sentence under section
 
12 706-606:
 
13      (a)  The defendant has been convicted of committing or
 
14           attempting to commit an offense involving domestic
 
15           violence;
 
16      (b)  The defendant is or has been a family or household
 
17           member of either a minor referred to in paragraph (c)
 
18           or the victim of the offense; and
 
19      (c)  The offense contemporaneously occurred in the presence
 
20           of a minor.
 
21      (2)  As used in this section:
 
22      "Family or household member" has the same meaning as defined
 
23 in section 709-906.
 

 
Page 3                                                     823
                                     S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
                                                        H.D. 1
                                                        


 1      "Offense" means a violation of section 707-710 (assault in
 
 2 the first degree), 707-711 (assault in the second degree),
 
 3 707-730 (sexual assault in the first degree), 707-731 (sexual
 
 4 assault in the second degree), 707-732 (sexual assault in the
 
 5 third degree), or 709-906 (abuse of family and household
 
 6 members).
 
 7      "In the presence of a minor" means in the actual physical
 
 8 presence of a child or knowing that a child is present and may
 
 9 hear or see the offense."
 
10      SECTION 3.  The family court sentencing guidelines shall be
 
11 revised to add the following two factors as aggravating factors
 
12 to be considered by the family court in imposing a sentence:
 
13      (1)  There was a temporary restraining order, injunction, or
 
14           other court order in effect, protecting the victim of
 
15           the crime from the defendant; and
 
16      (2)  The victim was pregnant at the time of the offense, and
 
17           the defendant knew or reasonably should have known of
 
18           the victim's condition.
 
19      SECTION 4.  This Act does not affect rights and duties that
 
20 matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were
 
21 begun, before its effective date.
 
22      SECTION 5.  New statutory material is underscored.
 
23      SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.