97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB5681

 

Introduced 2/16/2012, by Rep. Richard Morthland

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Armed Citizen Liability Act. Provides that a person is immune from civil liability arising out of the use of force that is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm if (i) the person reasonably believed that the force was necessary to prevent imminent death or bodily harm to himself or herself or to another person and (ii) the person against whom the force was used either was in the process of unlawfully and forcibly entering, or was inside after unlawfully and forcibly entering, the dwelling, motor vehicle, or place of business of the person using the force. In such a case, provides that the finder of fact may not consider whether the person using the force had an opportunity to flee or retreat before he or she used the force, and provides that, with exceptions, the person using the force is presumed to have reasonably believed that the force was necessary to prevent imminent death or bodily harm to himself or herself or to another person. Provides for an award of reasonable attorney's fees, costs, compensation for loss of income, and other costs reasonably incurred to a person using such force. Provides that nothing in the Act limits any other available defense. Provides that the Act applies to a use of force that occurs on or after the effective date of the Act.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning armed citizen liability.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Armed
5Citizen Liability Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
7    "Dwelling" means any premises or portion of a premises that
8is used as a home or a place of residence and that part of the
9lot or site on which the dwelling is situated that is devoted
10to residential use. "Dwelling" includes other existing
11structures on the immediate residential premises such as
12driveways, sidewalks, swimming pools, terraces, patios,
13fences, porches, garages, and basements.
14    "Place of business" means a commercial or retail enterprise
15that a person owns or operates.
16    "Public safety worker" means a person employed by this
17State or a political subdivision thereof that provides
18firefighting, law enforcement, medical, or other emergency
19services.
 
20    Section 10. Use of force in response to unlawful and
21forcible entry; civil liability immunity.
22    (a) Except as provided in subsection (d), a person is

 

 

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1immune from civil liability arising out of his or her use of
2force that is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily
3harm if (i) the person reasonably believed that the force was
4necessary to prevent imminent death or bodily harm to himself
5or herself or to another person and (ii) either of the
6following applies:
7        (1) The person against whom the force was used was in
8    the process of unlawfully and forcibly entering the
9    dwelling, motor vehicle, or place of business of the person
10    using the force; the person using the force was on his or
11    her property or present in his or her dwelling, motor
12    vehicle, or place of business; and the person using the
13    force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and
14    forcible entry was occurring.
15        (2) The person against whom the force was used was
16    inside the dwelling, motor vehicle, or place of business of
17    the person using the force after unlawfully and forcibly
18    entering it; the person using the force was present in his
19    or her dwelling, motor vehicle, or place of business; and
20    the person using the force knew or had reason to believe
21    that the person against whom the force was used had
22    unlawfully and forcibly entered his or her dwelling, motor
23    vehicle, or place of business.
24    (b) If paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a) applies, the
25finder of fact may not consider whether the person using the
26force had an opportunity to flee or retreat before he or she

 

 

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1used the force.
2    (c) If paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a) applies,
3then, except as provided in subsection (d), the person using
4the force is presumed to have reasonably believed that the
5force was necessary to prevent imminent death or bodily harm to
6himself or herself or to another person.
7    (d) The immunity provided in subsection (a), and the
8presumption described in subsection (c), do not apply if the
9finder of fact finds that either of the following is true:
10        (1) The person using the force was engaged in a
11    criminal activity or was using his or her dwelling, motor
12    vehicle, or place of business to further a criminal
13    activity at the time he or she used the force described in
14    subsection (a).
15        (2) The person against whom the force was used was a
16    public safety worker who entered or attempted to enter the
17    dwelling, motor vehicle, or place of business of the person
18    using the force in the performance of his or her official
19    duties. This paragraph (2) applies only if at least one of
20    the following applies:
21            (A) The public safety worker identified himself or
22        herself to the person using the force before that
23        person used the force described in subsection (a).
24            (B) The person using the force knew or reasonably
25        should have known that the person entering or
26        attempting to enter his or her dwelling, motor vehicle,

 

 

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1        or place of business was a public safety worker.
2    (e) In any civil action arising out of a person's use of
3force described in subsection (a), if the court finds that the
4person is immune from civil liability under subsection (a), the
5court shall award the person reasonable attorney's fees, costs,
6compensation for loss of income, and other costs of the
7litigation reasonably incurred by the person.
 
8    Section 15. Other defense. Nothing in this Act may be
9construed to limit or impair any defense to civil or criminal
10liability otherwise available.
 
11    Section 20. Applicability. This Act applies to a use of
12force that occurs on or after the effective date of this Act.