BILL NUMBER: SB 1402 CHAPTERED 06/28/06 CHAPTER 45 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE JUNE 28, 2006 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR JUNE 28, 2006 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY JUNE 15, 2006 PASSED THE SENATE MAY 18, 2006 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 18, 2006 INTRODUCED BY Senator Kuehl FEBRUARY 22, 2006 An act to amend Section 262 of the Penal Code, relating to spousal rape. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1402, Kuehl Spousal rape. Existing law defines spousal rape as an act of sexual intercourse accomplished by means of force or violence, when the victim is at the time unconscious, or by threats of retaliation or use of public authority against the victim. Existing law provides, however, that no prosecution will be commenced under these provisions unless the violation was reported to other specified persons within one year of the violation, unless the allegation is corroborated by independent evidence, as specified. This bill would remove provisions requiring that an allegation of spousal rape has been reported previously or corroborated by independent evidence in order to be prosecuted. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 262 of the Penal Code is amended to read: 262. (a) Rape of a person who is the spouse of the perpetrator is an act of sexual intercourse accomplished under any of the following circumstances: (1) Where it is accomplished against a person's will by means of force, violence, duress, menace, or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury on the person or another. (2) Where a person is prevented from resisting by any intoxicating or anesthetic substance, or any controlled substance, and this condition was known, or reasonably should have been known, by the accused. (3) Where a person is at the time unconscious of the nature of the act, and this is known to the accused. As used in this paragraph, "unconscious of the nature of the act" means incapable of resisting because the victim meets one of the following conditions: (A) Was unconscious or asleep. (B) Was not aware, knowing, perceiving, or cognizant that the act occurred. (C) Was not aware, knowing, perceiving, or cognizant of the essential characteristics of the act due to the perpetrator's fraud in fact. (4) Where the act is accomplished against the victim's will by threatening to retaliate in the future against the victim or any other person, and there is a reasonable possibility that the perpetrator will execute the threat. As used in this paragraph, "threatening to retaliate" means a threat to kidnap or falsely imprison, or to inflict extreme pain, serious bodily injury, or death. (5) Where the act is accomplished against the victim's will by threatening to use the authority of a public official to incarcerate, arrest, or deport the victim or another, and the victim has a reasonable belief that the perpetrator is a public official. As used in this paragraph, "public official" means a person employed by a governmental agency who has the authority, as part of that position, to incarcerate, arrest, or deport another. The perpetrator does not actually have to be a public official. (b) As used in this section, "duress" means a direct or implied threat of force, violence, danger, or retribution sufficient to coerce a reasonable person of ordinary susceptibilities to perform an act which otherwise would not have been performed, or acquiesce in an act to which one otherwise would not have submitted. The total circumstances, including the age of the victim, and his or her relationship to the defendant, are factors to consider in apprising the existence of duress. (c) As used in this section, "menace" means any threat, declaration, or act that shows an intention to inflict an injury upon another. (d) If probation is granted upon conviction of a violation of this section, the conditions of probation may include, in lieu of a fine, one or both of the following requirements: (1) That the defendant make payments to a battered women's shelter, up to a maximum of one thousand dollars ($1,000). (2) That the defendant reimburse the victim for reasonable costs of counseling and other reasonable expenses that the court finds are the direct result of the defendant's offense. For any order to pay a fine, make payments to a battered women's shelter, or pay restitution as a condition of probation under this subdivision, the court shall make a determination of the defendant's ability to pay. In no event shall any order to make payments to a battered women's shelter be made if it would impair the ability of the defendant to pay direct restitution to the victim or court-ordered child support. Where the injury to a married person is caused in whole or in part by the criminal acts of his or her spouse in violation of this section, the community property may not be used to discharge the liability of the offending spouse for restitution to the injured spouse, required by Section 1203.04, as operative on or before August 2, 1995, or Section 1202.4, or to a shelter for costs with regard to the injured spouse and dependents, required by this section, until all separate property of the offending spouse is exhausted.