SB 1252 Summary

• Amends Arizona self-defense laws to allow use of physical or deadly force when a person reasonably believes such force is immediately necessary to protect themselves or a third person, replacing the "reasonable person" standard with a subjective reasonableness test.

• Creates new section 13-406 establishing "imperfect self-defense" allowing courts discretion to suspend sentences and place offenders on probation if they acted under an unreasonable belief that force was necessary or acted out of shock/outrage from being victims of felonies.

• Repeals the original section 13-406 and revises multiple statutes (13-407 through 13-421 and 13-4903) to update language regarding justification for use of force in self-defense, defense of property, law enforcement, and crime prevention.

• Expands justification provisions for defensive display of firearms or other weapons to include verbal notification, exposure, or hand placement on a weapon.

• Modifies domestic violence provisions to allow courts to consider a defendant's perspective as a victim of past domestic violence when evaluating self-defense claims.