Opinion ID: 1198152
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Arizona Domestic Violence Laws

Text: In 1980, Arizona adopted certain statutes relative to domestic violence. The term domestic violence is defined in A.R.S. § 13-3601(A) to include several crimes, including misdemeanor assault as defined in A.R.S. § 13-1203, if the relationship between the victim and the defendant is one of marriage or former marriage or of persons of the opposite sex residing or having resided in the same household, if the victim and defendant or the defendant's spouse are related to each other by consanguinity or affinity to the second degree, if the victim and defendant have a child in common or if the victim or the defendant is pregnant by the other party. A.R.S. § 13-3601(H) provides that [e]ach indictment, information, complaint, summons or warrant that is issued and that involves domestic violence shall state that the offense involved domestic violence and shall be designated by the letters DV. The domestic violence statutes authorize a wide variety of procedural steps that can or may be taken with respect to those offenses designated as domestic violence. Following adoption of the domestic violence statutes, Arizona courts were presented with the question of whether the domestic violence statutes created new substantive offenses. The court of appeals on two occasions held that they did not, stating: Appellant misreads the [domestic violence] statute. A.R.S. § 13-3601 is a procedural statute; it does not create a separate offense of domestic violence. State v. Schackart, 153 Ariz. 422, 423, 737 P.2d 398, 399 (App.1987). Similarly, in State v. Sirny, 160 Ariz. 292, 772 P.2d 1145 (App.1989), the court, discussing the interrelationship between the substantive criminal statutes and the domestic violence statutes, said: Section 13-3601 [the domestic violence statute] sets out the entire scheme for the disposition of eligible offenders. It details specific procedures to be followed from arrest to completion of diversion and specifies which offenses come within the definition of domestic violence. It describes when and how arrests can be made for those offenses and sets forth conditions and procedures involving release and the imposition of probation. It does not create a separate offense for which punishment can be imposed. 160 Ariz. at 294, 772 P.2d at 1147. Thus, it is clear that under Arizona law the labeling of the complaint as one involving domestic violence does not change the substantive charge. Misdemeanor assault remains misdemeanor assault and is not jury eligible unless the recent adoption of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9) by Congress compels a different result.