Source: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/s7915
Timestamp: 2020-03-31 17:39:00
Document Index: 26425608

Matched Legal Cases: ['§35', '§140', '§3012', '§ 2', '§ 3', '§  4', '§ 5', '§ 6', '§  7', '§ 8', '§  3012', '§ 9']

NY State Senate Bill S7915
senate Bill S7915
Relates to the justified use of physical force
Get Status Alerts for S7915
Mar 02, 2020 referred to codes
S7915 (ACTIVE) - Details
Amd §§35.15, 35.05, 35.10 & 120.14, Pen L; amd §§140.10 & 180.10, CP L; amd R3211, add §3012-c, CPLR
S7915 (ACTIVE) - Summary
Relates to the justified use of physical force; removes requirement that a person facing an imminent physical threat must retreat; provides immunity from civil and criminal liability.
S7915 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo
BILL NUMBER: S7915
An act to amend the penal law, the criminal procedure law and the civil
practice law and rules, in relation to the justified use of physical
PURPOSE OF BILL:  Removes the duty to retreat in scenarios justified
under article thirty-five of the penal law and adds protections for the
Section 1 provides for the removal of the duty of retreat in places
where the defender is lawfully permitted to be.
Section 2 directs to courts to instruct the jury that the duty of
retreat is no longer a consideration when determining if a person used
the threat of, or actual force against an aggressor.
Section 3 amends the penal law to include a new subdivision that states
that a person who is justified in using force in a self-defense situ-
ation is immune from criminal and civil liability.
Section 4 amends the penal law to state that those who justifiably used
force in a self-defense situation, is not guilty of menacing.
Section 5 allows law enforcement to arrest someone who used force if
there is probable cause to find that the use of force was not justifia-
ble under article thirty-five of the penal law.
Section 6 adds a new subdivision to the criminal procedure law to direct
defenders to state that in the event of an arrest following a self-de-
fense situation, the court shall dismiss the charges following arraign-
ment, unless the court determines by a clear and convincing standard,
that the use of said force was not reasonable.
Section 7 amends the civil practice law to state: that in the event that
a court grants a civil action against an individual who used justifiable
force, the defendant can move for a dismissal in a pre-trial hearing
unless the other party can prove, with clear and convincing evidence,
that the force was not reasonable. Adds that the court shall award
reasonable attorney fees, court costs, and compensation for lost income
and other expenses incurred by a defendant in a civil court action if
the court finds that the defendant's actions were justified.
Section 8 amends the civil practice law by adding a new section that
states that before a civil suit can continue against a defendant, the
plaintiff's counsel shall provide a certificate of merit stating that he
has reviewed the facts of the case and believes that, to the best of his
knowledge, the force used was not justified
The Second Amendment is designed for protective use by the people of the
United States of America. Currently, New York statute states that the
only place where the duty of retreating is removed is their own dwell-
ing. This bill seeks to expand the places where lawful firearm owners
can protect themselves and others.
S7915 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf
Introduced  by  Sens.  ORTT,  JORDAN, BORRELLO, FLANAGAN, SEWARD -- read
AN  ACT to amend the penal law, the criminal procedure law and the civil
practice law and rules, in relation to the justified use  of  physical
Section 1. Section 35.15 of the penal law, as added by chapter  73  of
the  laws of 1968, subdivisions 1 and 2 as amended by chapter 511 of the
1. A person may, subject to the provisions of subdivision two OF  THIS
SECTION,  use  physical force upon another person when and to the extent
he or she reasonably believes such to be necessary  to  defend  himself,
herself  or a third person from what he or she reasonably believes to be
the use or imminent use of unlawful physical force by such other person,
use of physical force is nevertheless justifiable if the actor has with-
drawn from the encounter and effectively communicated such withdrawal to
such other person but the latter persists in continuing the incident  by
the use or threatened imminent use of unlawful physical force; or
(c)  The  physical force involved is the product of a combat by agree-
2. A person may not use deadly  physical  force  upon  another  person
under circumstances specified in subdivision one OF THIS SECTION unless:
(a)  The  actor reasonably believes that such other person is using or
about to use deadly physical force. [Even in  such  case,  however,  the
actor  may  not  use  deadly physical force if he or she knows that with
complete personal safety, to oneself and others he or she may avoid  the
LBD14753-05-0
S. 7915                             2
necessity of so doing by retreating; except that the] THE actor is under
no duty to retreat if he or she is:
(i)  in  his  or  her  dwelling  OR  ANY OTHER PLACE THAT HE OR SHE IS
LAWFULLY PERMITTED TO BE and IS not the initial aggressor; or
(ii) a police officer or peace officer or a person assisting a  police
section 35.30 OF THIS ARTICLE; or
the  use  of deadly physical force is authorized by subdivision three of
section 35.20 OF THIS ARTICLE.
§ 2. Section 35.05 of the penal law is amended by adding a new  subdi-
3.  WHEN  A DEFENDANT HAS OFFERED THE DEFENSE OF JUSTIFICATION FOR THE
THREATENED OR ACTUAL USE OF DEADLY FORCE, THE COURT SHALL  INSTRUCT  THE
JURY  THAT  THEY  SHALL  NOT BE PERMITTED TO CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF
RETREAT AS A FACTOR IN DETERMINING WHETHER A PERSON  WHO  THREATENED  OR
USED  DEADLY  FORCE  REASONABLY BELIEVED THAT THE FORCE WAS NECESSARY TO
PREVENT DEATH OR SERIOUS BODILY INJURY TO HIMSELF OR ANOTHER.
§ 3. Section 35.10 of the penal law is amended by adding a new  subdi-
7.  A  PERSON  WHO IS JUSTIFIED IN THREATENING OR USING PHYSICAL FORCE
AGAINST ANOTHER PERSON IN DEFENSE OF HIMSELF, HERSELF,  ANOTHER  PERSON,
OR  PROPERTY  PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION IS IMMUNE FROM CRIMINAL AND CIVIL
LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGES INCURRED BY  THE  AGGRESSOR  PURSUANT  TO  THE
APPLICATION OF REASONABLE PHYSICAL FORCE OR THREATENED USE OF FORCE.
§  4.  Subdivision 1 of section 120.14 of the penal law, as amended by
chapter 222 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows:
1. He or she intentionally places or attempts to place another  person
in  reasonable fear of physical injury, serious physical injury or death
by displaying a deadly weapon, dangerous instrument or what  appears  to
be  a  pistol,  revolver,  rifle, shotgun, machine gun or other firearm;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT WHERE A PERSON IS JUSTIFIED IN THE USE OF  PHYS-
ICAL  FORCE  UPON  ANOTHER  PERSON IN SELF-DEFENSE OR DEFENSE OF A THIRD
PERSON, OR IN DEFENSE OF PREMISES UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE  THIR-
TY-FIVE  OF  THIS  CHAPTER,  SUCH  PERSON  SHALL NOT BE LIABLE UNDER THE
PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBDIVISION; or
§ 5. Section 140.10 of the criminal procedure law is amended by adding
4.  NO PERSON SHALL BE ARRESTED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION FOR A USE  OF
FORCE,  UNLESS  THE POLICE OFFICER BELIEVES THAT THERE IS PROBABLE CAUSE
TO FIND THAT THE USE OF FORCE WAS NOT JUSTIFIABLE UNDER ARTICLE  THIRTY-
FIVE OF THE PENAL LAW.
§ 6. Section 180.10 of the criminal procedure law is amended by adding
8.  UPON  ARRAIGNMENT, IF A DEFENDANT OFFERS THE DEFENSE OF JUSTIFICA-
TION TO ANY ALLEGATION INVOLVING THE USE OF  PHYSICAL  FORCE,  INCLUDING
DEADLY  PHYSICAL  FORCE,  THE COURT SHALL DISMISS THE CHARGES UNLESS THE
COURT DETERMINES BY CLEAR AND CONVINCING EVIDENCE THAT THE USE  OF  SUCH
PHYSICAL FORCE BY THE DEFENDANT WAS NOT REASONABLE OR JUSTIFIED.
§  7.  Rule  3211  of  the  civil practice law and rules is amended by
S. 7915                             3
(I) (1) MOTION TO DISMISS; USE OF FORCE; JUSTIFICATION.  A  PARTY  MAY
MOVE  TO  DISMISS  A  CAUSE OF ACTION ON THE BASIS THAT THE MOVING PARTY
USED REASONABLE FORCE UNDER SECTION 35.15 OF THE PENAL LAW. UPON  FILING
A  MOTION  TO DISMISS, THE COURT SHALL HOLD A HEARING PRIOR TO TRIAL AND
SHALL GRANT SUCH MOTION UNLESS THE PARTY RESPONDING TO THE MOTION PROVES
BY  CLEAR  AND CONVINCING EVIDENCE THAT THE USE OF FORCE WAS NOT REASON-
ABLE OR JUSTIFIED.
(2) THE COURT SHALL  AWARD  REASONABLE  ATTORNEY  FEES,  COURT  COSTS,
COMPENSATION FOR ANY LOSS OF INCOME AND ALL OTHER EXPENSES INCURRED BY A
PERSON  IN  DEFENSE OF ANY CIVIL ACTION ARISING FROM THE PERSON'S USE OF
REASONABLE FORCE PURSUANT TO SECTION 35.15 OF THE PENAL LAW IF THE COURT
FINDS THAT THE DEFENDANT'S ACTIONS WERE JUSTIFIED AND DISMISSES THE CASE
§ 8. The civil practice law and rules  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
section 3012-c to read as follows:
§  3012-C.  CERTIFICATE OF MERIT IN CERTAIN ACTIONS TO RECOVER DAMAGES
FOR PERSONAL INJURY, INJURY TO PROPERTY OR WRONGFUL DEATH.  (A)  IN  ANY
ACTION  TO  RECOVER  DAMAGES  FOR PERSONAL INJURY, INJURY TO PROPERTY OR
WRONGFUL DEATH BROUGHT BY AN INDIVIDUAL WHO COMMITTED  A  CRIME  AGAINST
THE  RESPONDENT, WHERE THE INJURIES COMPLAINED OF RESULTED FROM A USE OF
PHYSICAL FORCE OR DEADLY PHYSICAL FORCE BY THE RESPONDENT AT THE TIME OF
THE COMMISSION OF THE CRIME, THE COMPLAINT SHALL  BE  ACCOMPANIED  BY  A
CERTIFICATE,  SIGNED  BY THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF, CERTIFYING THAT
THE ATTORNEY HAS REVIEWED THE FACTS OF THE CASE AND THAT, TO THE BEST OF
SUCH ATTORNEY'S KNOWLEDGE, INFORMATION AND BELIEF THERE IS A  REASONABLE
BASIS  FOR  THE  COMMENCEMENT OF SUCH ACTION AND THAT THE RESPONDENT WAS
NOT JUSTIFIED IN THE USE OF PHYSICAL  FORCE  OR  DEADLY  PHYSICAL  FORCE
(C) IF THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF FAILS TO PROVIDE THE CERTIFICATE
AS REQUIRED BY SUBDIVISION (A) OF THIS SECTION THE COURT MAY DISMISS THE
COMPLAINT  OR  MAKE  SUCH FINAL OR CONDITIONAL ORDER WITH REGARD TO SUCH
FAILURE AS IS JUST INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DENIAL OF THE ACCRUAL OF
ANY INTEREST, COSTS, ATTORNEYS' FEES AND OTHER  FEES,  RELATING  TO  THE
UNDERLYING  MORTGAGE DEBT. ANY SUCH DISMISSAL SHALL BE WITHOUT PREJUDICE
AND SHALL NOT BE ON THE MERITS.
§ 9. This act shall take effect immediately;  provided  however,  that
section  five  of this act shall take effect upon the repeal of subdivi-
sion 4 of section 140.10 of  the  criminal  procedure  law  pursuant  to
section 59 of chapter 222 of the laws of 1994, as amended.