Missouri Laws 565.052 – Assault, second degree, penalty
1. A person commits the offense of assault in the second degree if he or she:
(1) Attempts to kill or knowingly causes or attempts to cause serious physical injury to another person under the influence of sudden passion arising out of adequate cause; or
Attorney's Note
Under the Missouri Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class B felony | between 5 and 15 years | |
| Class D felony | up to 7 years | up to $10,000 |
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 565.052
- Adequate cause: cause that would reasonably produce a degree of passion in a person of ordinary temperament sufficient to substantially impair an ordinary person's capacity for self-control. See Missouri Laws 565.002
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- Special victim: any of the following:
(a) A law enforcement officer assaulted in the performance of his or her official duties or as a direct result of such official duties. See Missouri Laws 565.002
- Sudden passion: passion directly caused by and arising out of provocation by the victim or another acting with the victim which passion arises at the time of the offense and is not solely the result of former provocation. See Missouri Laws 565.002
(2) Attempts to cause or knowingly causes physical injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument; or
(3) Recklessly causes serious physical injury to another person; or
(4) Recklessly causes physical injury to another person by means of discharge of a firearm.
2. The defendant shall have the burden of injecting the issue of influence of sudden passion arising from adequate cause under subdivision (1) of subsection 1 of this section.
3. The offense of assault in the second degree is a class D felony, unless the victim of such assault is a special victim, as the term “special victim” is defined under section 565.002, in which case it is a class B felony.