The bill amends Section 11-8-8 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-8, which pertains to "Burglary and Breaking and Entering." It introduces a new legal framework regarding self-defense in cases where a person dies or sustains injury while committing a criminal offense. Specifically, it establishes a rebuttable presumption that the owner, tenant, or occupier of a property acted in self-defense if they reasonably believed that the individual engaged in the criminal offense was about to inflict great bodily harm or death. This presumption applies to offenses listed in sections 11-8-2, 11-8-6, and the newly included 11-39-2.

Additionally, the bill clarifies that there is no duty for the property owner or occupier to retreat from an individual engaged in the commission of a violent criminal offense if that individual is lawfully in a place they have a right to be. Furthermore, the bill expands the self-defense provisions to include situations where a person is lawfully present in a location and is injured while committing a violent criminal offense against another person. In these cases, it similarly establishes a rebuttable presumption of self-defense for the property owner or occupier, provided they acted under the belief that the individual was about to cause significant harm. The act is set to take effect immediately upon passage.

Statutes affected:
6146: 11-8-8