Under California Penal Code Section 273.5, the crime of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse is defined as using physical force on a current or former spouse or significant other, mother or father of your child or cohabitant that results in that person suffering a traumatic condition.
If you are convicted of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse under PC 273.5, you face up to four years in prison and up to $6,000 in fines.
In most cases when a person is accused of this crime, the alleged victim is their spouse, child, parent, boyfriend or girlfriend. The alleged victims of this crime often do not wish for the accused to be prosecuted. However, once a person is arrested for this crime, it is up to the prosecuting attorney whether to file or dismiss criminal charges.