Battery of a Police Officer in Baton Rouge, Gonzales, Prairieville, Livingston Parish, Assumption Parish, Ascension Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish, Zachary, LA & Beyond
Battery of a police officer in Louisiana is charged in the following circumstances, statute below. A criminal defense trial for battery of a police officer is procedurally like any other serious felony, in that it is a very serious charge that takes a tremendous effort and skill level to properly defend.
It is important to note here that there is a difference between what the police charge and what the District Attorney charges. What a police officer perceives and what can be proven at trial are often times very different.
This is obviously a very serious charge and requires a very serious criminal defense. It is important to note that this crime is a battery upon a special class of person. There are a number of these special classes of persons, school teachers, coaches and referees, correctional facility employees, etc… and each of them increase the punishment of the underlying act. Most of them are serious felonies with minimum jail sentences of up to a year and a maximum of five years, as is the case with battery of a police officer.
If you, or someone you know, has been charged with battery of a police officer, hire a skilled criminal defense attorney immediately. Call The Ambeau Law Firm we will talk about the road ahead and what we can do for you. If we decide together to fight this matter, we will start the fight from the first day, and work diligently to get you the best outcome possible in your criminal defense matter.
La. R. S. 14:34.2. Battery of a Police Officer
A. (1) Battery of a police officer is a battery committed without the consent of the victim when the offender has reasonable grounds to believe the victim is a police officer acting in the performance of his duty.
(2) For purposes of this Section, “police officer” shall include commissioned police officers, sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, marshals, deputy marshals, correctional officers, federal law enforcement officers, constables, wildlife enforcement agents, state park wardens, and probation and parole officers.
(3) For purposes of this Section, “battery of a police officer” includes the use of force or violence upon the person of the police officer by throwing feces, urine, blood, saliva, or any form of human waste by an offender while the offender is incarcerated by a court of law and is being detained in any jail, prison, correctional facility, juvenile institution, temporary holding center, halfway house, or detention facility.
B. (1) Whoever commits the crime of battery of a police officer shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars and imprisoned not less than fifteen days nor more than six months without benefit of suspension of sentence.
(2) If at the time of the commission of the offense the offender is under the jurisdiction and legal custody of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, or is being detained in any jail, prison, correctional facility, juvenile institution, temporary holding center, halfway house, or detention facility, the offender shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars and imprisoned with or without hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence for not less than one year nor more than five years. Such sentence shall be consecutive to any other sentence imposed for violation of the provisions of any state criminal law.
(3) If the battery produces an injury that requires medical attention, the offender shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned with or without hard labor for not less than one year nor more than five years, or both. At least thirty days of the sentence imposed shall be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.
C. The definition of a “police officer” as provided in Paragraph (A)(2) of this Section shall be strictly construed solely for the purposes of this Section and shall not be construed as granting the authority to any agency not defined as a “peace officer” pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 40:2402 to make arrests, perform search and seizures, execute criminal warrants, prevent and detect crime, and enforce the laws of this state.
(2012).
Disclaimer: These codes may not be the most recent version. The Legislature of the State of Louisiana may have more current or accurate information. The Ambeau Law Firm makes no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy or completeness of the information contained on this page – please consult your attorney and/or check official sources.
