Code 16-105-502. A castle doctrine, also known as a castle law or a defense of habitation law, is a legal doctrine that designates a person's abode or any legally occupied place (for example, a vehicle or home) as a place in which that person has protections and immunities permitting one, in certain circumstances, to use force (up to and including deadly force) to defend oneself against an intruder, free from . For additional information: Arkansas Code 5-2-606 is amended to read as follows: 5-2-606. According to the statute, it doesn't apply if the individual attempting to defend themselves is committing a crime. Fairfax, VA 22030 1-800-392-8683(VOTE), Click on a State to see the Gun Law Profile, * This rests on court rulings. A black Arkansas lawmaker made national headlines after she made impassioned remarks to her white colleagues about a proposed "stand your ground" law. With that phrasing, English common law reinvented the Castle Doctrine, the concept that one may be safe and protect one's home. Use of deadly physical force in defense of a person. This law does not mean that you can use deadly force whenever and wherever you want to. Most self-defense laws state that a person under threat of physical injury . The Senate Committee on Public Health, Welfare and Labor endorsed SB 99, which would regulate step therapy protocols. ,took particular offense with the provision in the bill requiring that someone be lawfully present in the location where they used physical force. (2) With complete safety by surrendering possession of property to a person claiming a lawful right to possession of the property. Texas Penal Code, Chapter 9, Subchapter C. Some of the provisions within this subchapter, "Protection of Persons," are often referred to as the "stand your ground" laws. a. (b) A person is not justified in using physical force upon another person if: (1) With purpose to cause physical injury or death to the other person, the person provokes the use of unlawful physical force by the other person; (2)(A) The person is the initial aggressor. FAIRFAX, Va. -- The National Rifle Association applauds Arkansas Gov. (1) Curtilage means the land adjoining a dwelling that is convenient for residential purposes and habitually used for residential purposes, but not necessarily enclosed, and includes an outbuilding that is directly and intimately connected with the dwelling and in close proximity to the dwelling; and, (A) Physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or the infliction of fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury, or assault between family or household members; or. (b) A person who operates or uses a sport shooting range is not subject to an action for nuisance, and no court of the state may enjoin the use or operation of a range on the basis of noise or noise pollution, if the range is in compliance with noise control ordinances of units of local government that applied to the range and its operation at the time the range was constructed and began operation. legislators in Arkansas attempted to pass a stand-your-ground law in 2019, but the bill (HB 1059) met opposition from the Arkansas Sheriffs Associationand the Arkansas Prosecutors Association. 2019). State law prohibits carrying a handgun with the ", purpose to attempt to unlawfully employ the handgun as a weapon against a person;" Ark. What exactly is the Arkansas bill trying to do? (Staton Breidenthal/The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Ark. Stand your ground rights apply, regardless where the victim is located at the time of the attack and defense. This self-defense law states the following: "A person is justified in threatening or using force against another when and to the extent that he or she reasonably believes that threat or force is necessary to defend himself or herself or a third person . The Arkansas State Police has posted a list of places where carrying a concealed handgun is prohibited, and any exceptions, at https://static.ark.org/eeuploads/asp/PP_Table_11_30_17a.pdf. Sport shooting ranges; exemptions from nuisance and noise pollution suits. Arkansas Code 5-2-615 is amended to read as follows: 5-2-615. Stand Your Ground Laws are often expansions of the Castle Laws. However, they do not have enough votes to block the legislation without getting some Republicans to join them. Therefore, the law allows him to use . It would make permanent the temporary allowances initiated by executive order last year, at the start of the pandemic. Under Ark. https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=SB24&ddBienniumSession=2021%2F2021R (accessed June 5, 2021). 5-2-614. Use of physical force by a pregnant woman in defense of her, (1) Pregnant means the female reproductive condition of having an unborn child in the females body; and. SB 24 was sent to the House Judiciary Committee, which must consider it before a vote of the entire House of Representatives. As reporter John Moritz summarized it, The amendment would have allowed someone with a gun who was illegally trespassing in an area where guns are prohibited to use their weapon inself defense, as long as they were not in the process of committing a more serious felony. The amendment was opposed by state prosecutors, but the change appeased the Gun Owners of Arkansas, and the bill passed out of committee on February 23, 2021. . A spokeswoman said Dec. 23 Hutchinson hadnt yet read or taken a position on the new version. For more information, contact 501-918-3025 orcalsfoundation@cals.org. Online athttps://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/feb/22/review-looks-at-states-rates-of-gun-deaths/ (accessed June 5, 2021). On March 3, 2021, Governor Asa Hutchinson signed into law Act 250, a so-called "stand-your-ground" bill. Code 5-73-120(a). Stand your ground laws overturn centuries of jurisprudence, allowing people to avoid criminal prosecution for the use of deadly force even when the person could easily and safely retreat. [3] Learn more about how this website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience. For a bill to become law, both chambers of the legislature must approve the exact same version of it. Florida Knife Laws: What You Need to Know. Arkansas While Arkansas currently has no Stand-your-ground laws in effect and instead enforces a duty to retreat, that may soon change. See the section on "Carrying," below. However, a recent law change bans the open carry of handguns. As public pressure built, igniting the movement that came to be known as. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday signed into law a measure easing the states restrictions on the use of deadly force in self-defense, but urged conservatives who pushed for the legislation to pass a hate crimes proposal theyve so far resisted. The NRA is a longtime supporter of such measures. Tomorrow, the House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider self-defense expansion legislation, Senate Bill 573. - Senate Bill 24, the Stand Your Ground Bill, was passed out of the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (a)(1) A person is justified in using physical force upon another person to defend himself or herself or a third person from what the person reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of unlawful physical force by that other person, and the person may use a degree of physical force that he or she reasonably believes to be necessary. YOU MUST ABIDE WITH ALL LAWS: STATE, FEDERAL AND LOCAL. It's very important to remember that stand your ground and castle doctrine laws vary from state to state. It is unlawful to deface the serial number or identification mark of a firearm, or to knowingly possess such a firearm. 2023 Encyclopedia of Arkansas. State Capitol Building500 Woodlane StreetSuite 320Little Rock, Arkansas72201-1090, State Capitol Building500 Woodlane Street, Suite 320Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1090, In Session: 501-682-2902Out of Session: 501-682-6107. Stand Your Ground Laws - A Law Prof Explains. Proponents of the bill said prosecutors across the state already don't take into account the duty to . Read our guide to the General Assembly.) - Governor Asa Hutchinson has signed a bill bringing a "stand your ground" law to the state of Arkansas. The majority Republican Senate voted 27-7 for the measure that would remove would the state's duty to retreat. A majority of states in the U.S. are stand your ground states. The list and map below are included as a tool to assist you in validating your information. Will the bill pass? A shooting range may not be held liable in a civil lawsuit or criminal action based on a claim of noise or noise pollution. Force may also be used to stop the commission or imminent commission of a forcible felony. App. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Arkansas has long enjoyed robust laws protecting citizens who are forced to defend themselves against attack, but only very recently has the law been amended to include full stand your ground protections. On January 19th, 2021, a Stand-your-ground bill sponsored by Senator Bob Ballinger quickly passed through the Arkansas Senate. Republicans in the Arkansas Legislature have introduced a "stand-your-ground" self-defense bill for consideration this session after past efforts failed. The "duty to retreat" is a legal requirement to not use deadly force in self-defense if you and anyone else at risk could safely retreat from the situation. Likewise, a state without Stand your Grand law . March 03, 2021 10:33 PM ET. Understand this: Stand Your Ground, and self-defense in general, applies to an immediate, credible threat. Thanks to the aforementioned bill being signed by the governor into law, Arkansas citizens now enjoy uniformly excellent protection concerning the just use of force in self-defense. This does not prevent a local unit of government from bringing suit against a firearm or ammunition manufacturer or dealer for breach of contract or warranty as to firearms or ammunition purchased by the local unit of government. In the 1980s, a handful of state laws (nicknamed "make my day" laws) addressed immunity from prosecution in use of deadly force against another who unlawfully and forcibly enters a person's residence. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. This may be reproduced. The CALS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Code 5-73-122, a meeting place of the governing body of any governmental entity, state offices, athletic events not related to firearms, places of worship, and public college or university campus buildings, provided that the private entities (like bars, private colleges and universities or places of worship) have not themselves opted to restrict firearms on their property. Most self-defense laws state that a person under threat of physical. 5-73-205(a) (e.g., when the machine gun is on premises not owned or rented for bona fide permanent residence or business occupancy by the person in whose possession the machine gun is found, and the machine gun has not been registered to a corporation in the business of manufacturing ammunition or a representative of the corporation under the National Firearms Act or the Gun Control Act, and is not being used primarily to test ammunition in a nonoffensive and nonaggressive manner by the corporation or the corporation's representative, where the corporation or the corporation's representative is not prohibited from the possession of a firearm by any state or federal law). No person under 18 years of age may possess a handgun, unless the minor falls within the exemptions listed at Ark. Arkansas Code 5-2-607 is amended to read as follows: 22 5-2-607. Additionally, citizens may employ force to protect themselves so long as they are anywhere that they legally, and lawfully have a right to be, and there is no longer any duty to retreat from such a place under any circumstances. Arkansas: Stand Your Ground Legislation Sent to the Governor's Desk for Signature Today, the Arkansas House marked the final vote on Stand Your ground Legislation, Senate Bill 24.. Only the State of Arkansas has the authority to bring suit against a firearm or ammunition manufacturer or dealer, however in a proclamation by the Governor of a state of emergency, the governing body of a local unit of government may enact an emergency ordinance regulating firearms. or 16-98-303(g). Under step therapy, a patient would start with an over the counter drug, for example, because it is relatively cheap. In fact, stand-your-ground began to receive extra scrutiny nationally following the February 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin, aBlack teenager, by self-appointed neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman. You can also use protective force in public where you have a right to be by law. In response to the bill, the Arkansas chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a national organization founded in 2012 following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that left twenty-six people dead (including twenty children), said in a press release that the bill would embolden vigilantes and extremists to shoot first and ask questions later, weaken gun laws, and make Arkansas less safe, particularly for people of color.A letter co-signed by seventy-nine religious leaders stated that the bill encourages people to resolve issues with violence.Thefirsthearingon the billcame exactlyone week after armeddomesticterrorists(many of them self-professed gun enthusiasts, such as the Arkansas-basedextremistRichard Bigo Barnett) attacked the U.S.Capitol in Washington DCon January 6, 2021,as part of an attempted coup dtat. A Stand Your Ground Law is a law that allows citizens to protect themselves if they feel their lives are in danger, regardless of whether they could have safely exited the situation. When he signed the bill into law, he did state his hope that legislators would then take up the proposed hate crimes bill that had been lingering in the Arkansas General Assembly due to fierce opposition from Republicans. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Community Foundation. "Stand Your Ground" policy removes a duty to retreat before a would-be victim can use deadly force to defend against the imminent threat of death or great bodily injury. Citizens in Arkansas may use force to protect themselves from any threat, or to protect someone else, so long as the force used is reasonable and proportional to the threat they are facing, but includes deadly force if required. The license is valid throughout the state for 5 years from the date of issuance. "A person who uses or threatens to use physical . The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) counted 25 as of May 26, 2020. Code 16-98-303(g) (drug court); see Ark. SECTION 3. Judiciary Committee was held on January 13, 2021. We have made every effort to report the information correctly, however reciprocity and recognition agreements are subject to, change. Code 14-1-101 directs that a sport shooting range or sports facility that is not in violation of a state law or an ordinance of a local unit of government prior to the enactment of a new ordinance affecting the range or facility may continue to operate even if, at or after the time of enactment of the new ordinance affecting the range or facility, the operation is not in compliance with the new ordinance. Texas Penal Code, Chapter 9, Subchapter D. Any person in possession of a valid license issued by another state to carry a concealed handgun shall be entitled to the privileges and subject to the restrictions prescribed by Arkansas concealed handgun law. This Georgia's statute is outlined in GA Code 16-3-21. Those self-defense laws are not the same in every state of the U.S. At least 28 states have Stand your Ground laws, according to the Giffords Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Asa Hutchinson and the state legislature for passing SB 24 and Today, the Arkansas House marked the final vote on Stand Your ground Legislation, Senate Bill 24. (c) A person who subsequently acquires title to or who owns real property adversely affected by the use of property with a permanently located sport shooting range shall not maintain a nuisance action against the person who owns the range to restrain, enjoin, or impede the use of the range unless there has been a substantial change in the nature of the use of the range or by a person using the range. "This law . A machine gun is defined as a weapon of any description by whatever name known, loaded or unloaded from which more than five shots or bullets may be rapidly, or automatically, or semi-automatically discharged from a magazine, by a single function of the firing device. Receive important and timely information in defense of your second amendment rights. Stand-your-ground laws are a subject of considerable interest to concerned citizens who fear they might one day need to use force, including lethal force, in defense of themselves and their families. Additional support provided by the Arkansas General Assembly. However, on December 23, 2020, Senator Bob Ballingerof. (a) When a person believes that the use of physical force is necessary for any purpose justifying that use of physical force under this subchapter but the person is reckless or negligent either in forming that belief or in employing an excessive degree of physical force, the justification afforded by this subchapter is unavailable in a prosecution for an offense for which recklessness or negligence suffices to establish a culpable mental state. Almost always, police and prosecutors will err on the side of caution. 488 (Ark. Texas law states that you have no duty to retreat when there is a reasonable belief you are in danger and it extends to your home, vehicle, or job. (6) Is not engaged in any activity in furtherance of a criminal gang, organization, or enterprise as defined in 5-74-103. ***, AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEFENSE OF A PERSON WITH THE, USE OF PHYSICAL FORCE OR DEADLY PHYSICAL FORCE; AND. This week, the Arkansas State Legislature convened for its 2022 Fiscal Session. Rand Corporation, 2018.https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2088.html (accessed June 5, 2021). A local unit of government (a county, city of the first class, city of the second class, or incorporated town) may not prohibit a sport shooting range or sports facility that was in existence as of August 12, 2005, from expanding or enhancing its membership or opportunities for public participation, or reasonably expanding or increasing facilities or activities, or making repairs, reconstructing, rebuilding any of its buildings or improvements within its existing geographic boundaries if the work is necessary in the interest of public safety or to secure the continued use of the range or facility, or rebuilding and resuming activities where the facility or building was damaged by fire, collapse, explosion, act of nature, or act of war occurring after August 12, 2005 and the rebuilding or reconstruction occurs within one year of the date of the damage or settlement of any property damage claim. The evidence is stunningly clear: this law will make Arkansas less safe, said Kate Fletcher, a volunteer with the Arkansas chapter of Moms Demand Action, said in a statement released by the group. Private property owners/proprietors may post their premises as places where carrying a handgun is prohibited with signage as required by law. Encyclopedia of Arkansas The Arkansas Sheriffs Association said it will meet today to discuss SB24 and other pending legislation. (iii) That is customarily used for overnight accommodation of a person whether or not a person is actually present. The difference between "stand your ground" and "castle doctrine" laws lies in when and where people have a "duty to retreat". With time, the definition of our "home" expanded into the space around us . Texas Law. Keep reading to get the rest of the story on Arkansas laws as well as the exact text of the modified statutes at the end. SB 116 would abolish the Board of Trustees of Henderson State and vest its duties to the Board of Trustees of the ASU System. What is Stand Your Ground? Ark. Today, January 9th, the Arkansas State Legislature begins the 2023 legislative session. What does stand your ground" mean? Hutchinson said the new law should be monitored, saying changes may need to be made if voters arent provided necessary assistance in voting. 11250 Waples Mill Rd. It is unlawful to transport a firearm in a boat at night, unless it is unloaded and cased. Senate Bill 24 now heads to Gov. LITTLE ROCK (KATV) Arkansas lawmakers passed the controversial 'stand your ground' bill 72-23 on the House floor Wednesday. in 2021 found that, in all but one of Arkansass neighboring states, the number of people killed in shootings increased following approval of stand-your-ground legislation, in some cases by double-digit percentages; the one exception was Texas.