Criminal Law - Self-Defense - Prior Acts by Victim

Summary

The bill lets anyone charged with murder, manslaughter or a Title 3, Subtitle 2 crime argue they acted in self‑defense without showing they feared an immediate threat, provided the victim had earlier assaulted them or committed sexually assaultive behavior. It applies only to those specific charges and only when the prior act meets the listed criteria. The change aims to broaden the self‑defense option in cases where the victim has a history of violence against the defendant.

AI-generated summary — may be incomplete or inaccurate. Verify against the official bill text.

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