Penal code section 273(a) under California law is commonly known as “corporal injury to a spouse” and is the most commonly charged crime in domestic violence cases.

This penal code sections reads as follows:

Any person who willfully inflicts upon a person who is his or her spouse, former spouse, cohabitant, former cohabitant, or the mother or father of his or her child, corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition is guilty of a felony, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by imprisonment in state prison for two, three, or four years, or in county jail for not more than one year, or by a fine of up to $6,000 or by both fine and imprisonment.

The law requires that “corporal injury” be inflicted on the victim who must fit within a defined relationship to the defendant. It is important to know that corporal injury can be a very minimal injury or, in fact, no injury at all. Courts have held that even redness on the body of the victim is sufficient to establish that the victim suffered a “corporal injury”.

This means that a person can be charged with a felony domestic violence crime in California for allegedly causing the victim to suffer skin tenderness. This is a scary fact but true and anyone facing domestic violence charges should immediately consult with an aggressive and experienced domestic violence attorney. The Law Offices of Wallin & Klarich have been helping those accused of domestic violence for over 30 years. Contact us today at 888-280-6839 or visit our website www.wklaw.com. We will be there when you call.