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 provision that establishes a rebuttable defense for property owners, lessors, or occupants in cases where an individual dies or sustains injury while committing robbery of a motor vehicle. The bill specifies that if the owner or occupant acted in self-defense and had a reasonable belief that the individual engaged in the criminal offense was about to inflict great bodily harm or death upon them or any other individual, this defense would apply.

The act also clarifies that this rebuttable presumption applies in any civil or criminal proceeding related to the criminal offenses enumerated in sections 11-8-2, 11-8-6, or 11-39-2. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon passage.

Statutes affected:
6147: 11-8-8