{"id":371841,"date":"2016-10-12T13:01:28","date_gmt":"2016-10-12T18:01:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/california-law\/california-self-defense-laws.html"},"modified":"2024-10-08T11:29:55","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T16:29:55","slug":"california-self-defense-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/california-law\/california-self-defense-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"California Self Defense Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 fl-sectionWithSidebar fl-container fl-flex fl-flex-wrap fl-gap30\">\n    \n    <div class=\"fl-page-articles fl-section-main fl-section-main-full-width\">\n        <h1 class=\"fl-no-margin-top\">California Self Defense Laws<\/h1>\n<section class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline\">\n    <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-content\">\n                    By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/susan-buckner-j-d\/\">Susan Buckner, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by <a\n                href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team.html\">FindLaw Staff<\/a>\n                | Last updated\n        <time>\n                            October 08, 2024\n                    <\/time>\n    <\/div>\n\n    \n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-legally-reviewed\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Legally Reviewed\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team.html\">FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/company-history\/editorial-policy.html\">our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n\n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-fast-checked\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Fact-Checked\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/contributing-authors.html\">contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please <a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/?fli=bylinelink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n<\/section>\n<p>The right to use deadly force in self-defense is one of the most-argued and least-understood legal concepts today. At its base, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/criminal\/criminal-law-basics\/self-defense-overview.html\">self-defense is simple<\/a>. California&#8217;s self-defense laws state that people may use force proportional to the force used against them.<\/p>\r\n<p>California law allows people to use any force up to lethal force to defend themselves and the defense of others if they have a reasonable belief such force is necessary to prevent worse harm. California does not call itself a &quot;stand your ground&quot; state. But its laws resemble those of so-called &quot;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/criminal\/criminal-law-basics\/stand-your-ground-laws.html\">stand your ground<\/a>&quot; jurisdictions.<\/p>\r\n<p>This article reviews California&#8217;s self-defense laws and what they mean if you are in danger of imminent bodily harm in your home and in other locations.<\/p>\r\n<h2><b>Self Defense and Stand Your Ground Laws<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p>All states recognize the right to defend oneself against an imminent threat. California Penal Code \u00a7 <a href=\"https:\/\/codes.findlaw.com\/ca\/penal-code\/pen-sect-692\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">692-694<\/a> codifies the right as:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Lawful resistance to a public offense means it must be something happening where others can see it<\/li>\r\n<li>Resistance sufficient to prevent an offense against the person, their family, or their property.<\/li>\r\n<li>Resistance sufficient to aid the defense of any other person in danger.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsl.org\/civil-and-criminal-justice\/self-defense-and-stand-your-ground\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stand-your-ground laws<\/a> have excited some discussion in recent years. You may see some advocates call California a &quot;stand your ground&quot; state, but California does not have an affirmative stand-your-ground law. Instead, the state&#8217;s self-defense laws omit any requirement to retreat.<\/p>\r\n<p>There are three ways a state can frame self-defense laws:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><b>An affirmative requirement to retreat.<\/b> &quot;Duty to retreat&quot; means that a person in immediate danger must retreat to a place of safety, if it&#8217;s safe to do so, before resorting to lethal force. Ten states (Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island) have an affirmative duty to retreat laws.<\/li>\r\n<li><b>An affirmative law protecting the right to confront an attacker,<\/b> even if retreat was possible. Some 35 states now have specific &quot;stand your ground&quot; statutes. In some states, self-defense is presumed, and the state must show that the crime was not justifiable homicide.<\/li>\r\n<li><b>A presumptive rule that allows defendants to claim self-defense but places the burden of proof on the defendant<\/b> to show they were in fear of death or great bodily harm. California&#8217;s case law supports a presumption of self-defense.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>A claim of self-defense in California depends on circumstances. Although a defendant has no duty to retreat, they must reasonably believe there is an imminent threat of harm. A defendant must:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Be somewhere they have a legal right to be<\/li>\r\n<li>Use force proportional to the force used against them<\/li>\r\n<li>Reasonably believe that force is necessary to prevent a greater harm<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>Defendants are not allowed to seek situations to use force or provoke someone into throwing a punch to claim &quot;self-defense.&quot; You can&#8217;t go into a dark alley or biker bar and taunt a stranger into attacking you; that would not be self-defense, but assault.<\/p>\r\n<h2><b>The Castle Doctrine<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p>The &quot;castle doctrine&quot; (<a href=\"https:\/\/codes.findlaw.com\/ca\/penal-code\/pen-sect-198-5\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CA Penal Code \u00a7 198.5<\/a>) harks back to the common law doctrine that &quot;a man&#8217;s home is his castle.&quot; Someone on their own real property (home, place of business, real estate) has no duty to retreat when faced with imminent danger. The law presumes that if you used force likely to cause &quot;death or great bodily injury,&quot; you believed you were in fear of such force.<\/p>\r\n<p>Under California&#8217;s castle doctrine, the prosecutor must prove that you were not in fear of death or serious bodily injury, and if that is not shown, the court must acquit you.<\/p>\r\n<p>The castle doctrine does not apply when you leave the property. You can&#8217;t use self-defense against law enforcement officers, first responders, and others allowed by statute to enter property without the owner&#8217;s consent.<\/p>\r\n<p>You can use the amount of force that a &quot;reasonable person&quot; would use in a similar situation. Like all self-defense laws, the castle doctrine depends on the circumstances. A reasonable fear in one time and place is not reasonable in another.<\/p>\r\n<h2><b>Imperfect Self-Defense<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p>Imperfect self-defense is a criminal jury instruction that allows defendants to avoid a murder conviction in cases where their use of excessive force was sincerely held but objectively unreasonable (<a href=\"https:\/\/caselaw.findlaw.com\/court\/ca-supreme-court\/1072225.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>People v. McCoy<\/i><\/a> (2001) 25 Cal.4th 1111, 108 Cal. Rptr.2d 188, 24 P.3d 1210).<\/p>\r\n<p>In an imperfect self-defense case, a defendant must show evidence that tends to negate the malice element of a murder charge and show that at the time of the homicide, they reasonably but mistakenly believed that they were in fear for their life. The jury instructions allow jurors to consider a verdict of voluntary manslaughter rather than first- or second-degree murder.<\/p>\r\n<p>Belief in future harm is insufficient to justify a self-defense claim.<\/p>\r\n<h2><b>Mutual Combat<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p>If you&#8217;re involved in a fight, even in a stand-your-ground state, you can face criminal charges if you started it or failed to back out when you could. Street fights are one area where &quot;self-defense&quot; is not a valid excuse for failing to retreat. If the fight escalates to deadly force, or someone is seriously injured or dies, you can claim self-defense if you were not the initial aggressor or:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>You tried to stop fighting in good faith and could not<\/li>\r\n<li>Indicated to your opponent you wanted to stop fighting, and<\/li>\r\n<li>Gave your opponent the chance to stop fighting<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>If you picked the fight or pretended to retreat to catch your opponent off guard, your defense will fail (<a href=\"https:\/\/codes.findlaw.com\/ca\/penal-code\/pen-sect-197\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CA Penal Code \u00a7 197<\/a>).<\/p>\r\n<h2><b>Defense of Another<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p>California law allows you to come to the defense of another (<a href=\"https:\/\/codes.findlaw.com\/ca\/penal-code\/pen-sect-197\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CA Penal Code \u00a7 197<\/a>). You can use reasonable force to prevent an attempted homicide or felony on another person or to prevent an entry into another&#8217;s home with an intent to do harm.<\/p>\r\n<p>As with other self-defense laws, the use of force must be proportional to the force exerted. You must also be sure that the person needs your presumed help.<\/p>\r\n<p><i><b>Note:<\/b> State laws are always subject to change through the passage of new legislation, rulings in the higher courts (including federal decisions), ballot initiatives, and other means. While we strive to provide the most current information available, please consult an attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state laws you are researching.<\/i><\/p>\r\n<h2><b>California Self-Defense Laws: Related Resources<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/criminal\/criminal-law-basics\/states-that-have-stand-your-ground-laws.html\">States That Have Stand Your Ground Laws<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/california-law\/california-criminal-statute-of-limitations-laws.html\">California Criminal Statute of Limitations<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/california-law\/california-voluntary-manslaughter-laws.html\">California Voluntary Manslaughter Laws<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><b>Get Legal Advice from a Criminal Defense Lawyer<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p>Self-defense is an affirmative defense, meaning you must prove that you were in fear of imminent harm. This is not an easy thing to prove in court. If you have this type of criminal case, you need help from an experienced <a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/criminal-law\/california?fli=dcta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">criminal defense attorney<\/a> to protect your civil rights.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"was-this-helpful\">\n    <div\n            class=\"was-this-helpful__question-container\"\n            aria-labelledby=\"was-this-helpful__question\"\n            role=\"group\"\n    >\n        <span\n                id=\"was-this-helpful__question\"\n                class=\"was-this-helpful__question fl-text-lg-bold\"\n        >Was this helpful?<\/span>\n        <button\n                class=\"was-this-helpful__button fl-text-sm\"\n                aria-label=\"Yes\"\n                value=\"yes\"\n        >\n            <span class=\"was-this-helpful__button-text fl-text-bold\">Yes<\/span>\n            <i class=\"was-this-helpful__button-icon\">\n                <svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                    <g id=\"thumbs-up\" clip-path=\"url(#clip0_604_3418)\">\n                        <path id=\"Vector\"\n                              d=\"M6 21H3C2.46957 21 1.96086 20.7893 1.58579 20.4142C1.21071 20.0391 1 19.5304 1 19V12C1 11.4696 1.21071 10.9609 1.58579 10.5858C1.96086 10.2107 2.46957 10 3 10H6M13 8V4C13 3.20435 12.6839 2.44129 12.1213 1.87868C11.5587 1.31607 10.7956 1 10 1L6 10V21H17.28C17.7623 21.0055 18.2304 20.8364 18.5979 20.524C18.9654 20.2116 19.2077 19.7769 19.28 19.3L20.66 10.3C20.7035 10.0134 20.6842 9.72068 20.6033 9.44225C20.5225 9.16382 20.3821 8.90629 20.1919 8.68751C20.0016 8.46873 19.7661 8.29393 19.5016 8.17522C19.2371 8.0565 18.9499 7.99672 18.66 8H13Z\"\n                              stroke=\"#666666\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\n                              stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><\/path>\n                    <\/g>\n                    <defs>\n                        <clipPath id=\"clip0_604_3418\">\n                            <rect width=\"22\" height=\"22\" fill=\"white\"><\/rect>\n                        <\/clipPath>\n                    <\/defs>\n                <\/svg>\n            <\/i>\n        <\/button>\n        <button\n                class=\"was-this-helpful__button fl-text-sm\"\n                aria-label=\"No\"\n                value=\"no\"\n        >\n            <span class=\"was-this-helpful__button-text fl-text-bold\">No<\/span>\n            <i class=\"was-this-helpful__button-icon\">\n                <svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                    <g id=\"thumbs-down\" clip-path=\"url(#clip0_604_3423)\">\n                        <path id=\"Vector\"\n                              d=\"M16 0.999995H18.67C19.236 0.989986 19.7859 1.18813 20.2154 1.55681C20.645 1.9255 20.9242 2.43905 21 3V10C20.9242 10.5609 20.645 11.0745 20.2154 11.4432C19.7859 11.8119 19.236 12.01 18.67 12H16M9.00003 14V18C9.00003 18.7956 9.3161 19.5587 9.87871 20.1213C10.4413 20.6839 11.2044 21 12 21L16 12V0.999995H4.72003C4.2377 0.994543 3.76965 1.16359 3.40212 1.47599C3.0346 1.78839 2.79235 2.22309 2.72003 2.7L1.34003 11.7C1.29652 11.9866 1.31586 12.2793 1.39669 12.5577C1.47753 12.8362 1.61793 13.0937 1.80817 13.3125C1.99842 13.5313 2.23395 13.7061 2.49846 13.8248C2.76297 13.9435 3.05012 14.0033 3.34003 14H9.00003Z\"\n                              stroke=\"#666666\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/>\n                    <\/g>\n                    <defs>\n                        <clipPath id=\"clip0_604_3423\">\n                            <rect width=\"22\" height=\"22\" fill=\"white\"\/>\n                        <\/clipPath>\n                    <\/defs>\n                <\/svg>\n            <\/i>\n        <\/button>\n    <\/div>\n    <span class=\"was-this-helpful__taken-action fl-text-sm-bold\"><\/span>\n    <div class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback-container\">\n        <div class=\"was-this-helpful__choose-option-message\" role=\"status\">\n            <p class=\"was-this-helpful__choose-option-message-text\"><\/p>\n        <\/div>\n        <form class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback-form\">\n            <div class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback was-this-helpful__feedback--positive\">\n                <fieldset>\n                    <legend class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\" tabindex=\"0\">Why was this helpful?<\/legend>\n                    <div class=\"fl-radio-button-field fl-flex was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--understandable\"\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-input\"\n                                type=\"radio\"\n                                name=\"positive-feedback\"\n                                value=\"Easy to understand\"\n                        >\n                        <label\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-label fl-text-sm was-this-helpful__radio-label\"\n                                for=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--understandable\"\n                        >Easy to understand<\/label>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"fl-radio-button-field fl-flex was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--solved-problem\"\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-input\"\n                                type=\"radio\"\n                                name=\"positive-feedback\"\n                                value=\"Solved my problem\"\n                        >\n                        <label\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-label fl-text-sm was-this-helpful__radio-label\"\n                                for=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--solved-problem\"\n                        >Solved my problem<\/label>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"fl-radio-button-field fl-flex was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--other\"\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-input\"\n                                type=\"radio\"\n                                name=\"positive-feedback\"\n                                value=\"Other\"\n                        >\n                        <label\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-label fl-text-sm was-this-helpful__radio-label\"\n                                for=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--other\"\n                        >Other<\/label>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/fieldset>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback was-this-helpful__feedback--negative\">\n                <fieldset>\n                    <legend class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\" tabindex=\"0\">Why was this not helpful?<\/legend>\n                    <div class=\"was-this-helpful__choose-option-message\" role=\"status\">\n                        <p class=\"was-this-helpful__choose-option-message-text\"><\/p>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"fl-radio-button-field fl-flex was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--missing-info\"\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-input\"\n                                type=\"radio\"\n                                name=\"negative-feedback\"\n                                value=\"Missing Information\"\n                        >\n                        <label\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-label fl-text-sm was-this-helpful__radio-label\"\n                                for=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--missing-info\"\n                        >Missing the information I need<\/label>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"fl-radio-button-field fl-flex was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--complicated\"\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-input\"\n                                type=\"radio\"\n                                name=\"negative-feedback\"\n                                value=\"Too complicated\"\n                        >\n                        <label\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-label fl-text-sm was-this-helpful__radio-label\"\n                                for=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--complicated\"\n                        >Too complicated \/ too many steps<\/label>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"fl-radio-button-field fl-flex was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--dated\"\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-input\"\n                                type=\"radio\"\n                                name=\"negative-feedback\"\n                                value=\"Out of date\"\n                        >\n                        <label\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-label fl-text-sm was-this-helpful__radio-label\"\n                                for=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--dated\"\n                        >Out of date<\/label>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"fl-radio-button-field fl-flex was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--negative-other\"\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-input\"\n                                type=\"radio\"\n                                name=\"negative-feedback\"\n                                value=\"Other\"\n                        >\n                        <label\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-label fl-text-sm was-this-helpful__radio-label\"\n                                for=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--negative-other\"\n                        >Other<\/label>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/fieldset>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"was-this-helpful__form-buttons-container\">\n                <button\n                    class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback-button was-this-helpful__feedback-button--positive at-feedback-submit fl-button secondary\"\n                    type=\"submit\"\n                >\n                    <span class=\"fl-button-content\">Submit<\/span>\n                    <i\n                        class=\"fa fa-angle-right medium\"\n                        aria-hidden=\"true\"\n                    ><\/i>\n                <\/button>\n                <button\n                    class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback-button was-this-helpful__feedback-button--cancel fl-button primary disabled\"\n                    type=\"reset\"\n                >\n                    <span class=\"fl-button-content\">Cancel<\/span>\n                    <i\n                        class=\"fa fa-times-circle medium\"\n                        aria-hidden=\"true\"\n                    ><\/i>\n                <\/button>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/form>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"was-this-helpful__thank-you-message\" role=\"status\">\n        <i class=\"was-this-helpful__thank-you-message-icon fa fa-check\"><\/i>\n        <p class=\"was-this-helpful__thank-you-message-text\" aria-live=\"polite\"><\/p>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"fl-section-sidebar\">\n        <div class=\"fl-editors-summary\" data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary\">\n    \n    <div class=\"fl-editors-summary-content\" data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content\">\n                    <h2>Can I Solve This on My Own or Do I Need an Attorney?<\/h2>\n                <div class=\"fl-editors-summary-content-main\" data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content-main\">\n            \n        <\/div>\n        <ul class=\"fl-list-style-none\">\n                            <li data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content-item\">\n                    <i class=\"fa fa-check medium fl-editors-summary-content-item-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                    Complex criminal defense situations usually require a lawyer\n\n                <\/li>\n                            <li data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content-item\">\n                    <i class=\"fa fa-check medium fl-editors-summary-content-item-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                    Defense attorneys can help protect your rights\n\n                <\/li>\n                            <li data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content-item\">\n                    <i class=\"fa fa-check medium fl-editors-summary-content-item-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                    A lawyer can seek to reduce or eliminate criminal penalties\n\n                <\/li>\n                    <\/ul>\n                    <div class=\"fl-editors-summary-content-description\" data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content-description\">\n                <p>Get tailored advice and ask your legal questions. Many California attorneys offer free consultations.<\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n                            <div class=\"fl-editors-summary-content-link fl-flex\" data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content-link\">\n                <i class=\"fa fa-angle-right medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                <p class=\"find-attorney\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/criminal-law\/#USER_GEO\/?fli=esum\" title=\"Criminal Defense Lawyer Directory\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">If you need an attorney, find one right now.<\/a><\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"email-subscription fl-mb30\">\n    <div class=\"email-subscription-header\">\n        <div class=\"email-subscription-header-content\">\n            <h3 class=\"fl-callout-sm fl-no-margin\">Stay Up-to-Date With How the Law Affects Your Life<\/h3>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"email-subscription-header-image fl-flex fl-items-end\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\"\n                src=\"https://www.findlaw.com/static/c/images\/images\/w_1200,c_limit,dpr_auto\/f_auto,q_auto:eco\/v1745902396\/ability-law\/wp-prod\/general-components-subscribe-module-Image-subscribeModule_1\/general-components-subscribe-module-Image-subscribeModule_1.png?_i=AA\"\n                alt=\"\"\n                loading=\"lazy\"\n            \/>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"email-subscription-content fl-flex fl-flex-wrap\">\n        <div class=\"email-subscription-content-text fl-mb25\">\n            <h4 class=\"fl-no-margin\">Enter your email address to subscribe<\/h4>\n        <\/div>\n\n        <form class=\"email-subscription-content-form\">\n            <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distributionList\" value=\"latl\" \/>\n            <label for=\"email-subscription-content-form-group-input\" class=\"fl-text-sm-bold\">Email (Required)<\/label>\n            <div class=\"email-subscription-content-form-group\">\n                <input id=\"email-subscription-content-form-group-input\" name=\"email\" autocomplete=\"email\"\/>\n                <button type=\"submit\" aria-label=\"Submit\">\n                    <i class=\"fa fa-angle-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                <\/button>\n            <\/div>\n            <p class=\"email-subscription-content-form-success subscribe-success-message fl-text-sm-bold\" aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"status\">Thank you for subscribing!<\/p>\n            <p class=\"email-subscription-content-form-error subscribe-error-message fl-text-sm-bold\" role=\"alert\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/p>\n\n            <div id=\"email-subscription-content-form-recaptcha\" class=\"email-subscription-content-form-recaptcha subscribe-recaptcha\"\n                data-sitekey=\"0x4AAAAAAABGBEkK9kEeKxO-\"><\/div>\n        <\/form>\n\n        <div class=\"email-subscription-content-footer fl-text-sm\">\n            <p><a href=\"https:\/\/newsletters.findlaw.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn more about FindLaw\u2019s newsletters<\/a>, including our terms of use and privacy policy.<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"general-list\">\n    <h3>Helpful Links<\/h3>\n    <ul class=\"fl-list fl-no-margin\">\n                                    <li class=\"fl-list-item fl-flex\">\n                    <i class=\"fa fa-angle-right medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                    <a class=\"fl-list-item-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state.html\">\n                        Find Your State&#8217;s Laws\n                    <\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                                                <li class=\"fl-list-item fl-flex\">\n                    <i class=\"fa fa-angle-right medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                    <a class=\"fl-list-item-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/all-topics.html\">\n                        View All State Law Topics\n                    <\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                                                <li class=\"fl-list-item fl-flex\">\n                    <i class=\"fa fa-angle-right medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                    <a class=\"fl-list-item-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/statutes-of-limitations.html\">\n                        State Statutes of Limitations\n                    <\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                        <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"popularDirectory\">\n        <div class=\"general-popular-directory \">\n            <div class=\"general-popular-directory-title\">\n                <h3>Popular Directory Searches<\/h3>\n            <\/div>\n            <ul>\n                                    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/criminal-law\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Criminal Lawyers<\/a><\/li>\n                                    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/domestic-violence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Domestic Violence Lawyers<\/a><\/li>\n                                    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/drug-crime\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Drug Crime Lawyers<\/a><\/li>\n                                    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/dui-dwi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DUI\/DWI Lawyers<\/a><\/li>\n                                    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/sex-crime\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sex Offenses Lawyers<\/a><\/li>\n                                    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/litigation-appeals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Litigation and Appeals Lawyers<\/a><\/li>\n                                    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/white-collar-crimes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">White Collar Crimes Lawyers<\/a><\/li>\n                            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An explanation of California&#8217;s self-defense laws with links to the statutes and other helpful resources on FindLaw&#8217;s state law pages.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41135,"featured_media":0,"parent":371727,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"app\/Http\/Controllers\/Templates\/ArticleWithBreadcrumbsController.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_stopmodifiedupdate":true,"_modified_date":"","_autodraft_ids":[],"_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"_sb_is_suggestion_mode":false,"_sb_show_suggestion_boards":false,"_sb_show_comment_boards":false,"_sb_suggestion_history":"","_sb_update_block_changes":"","_is_real_time_mode":false,"_realtime_collaborators":"","footnotes":"","cf_checklist_status":[]},"categories":[2743],"tags":[],"state_laws_tags":[3557],"flmsa":[],"class_list":["post-371841","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-state","state_laws_tags-statelaws_5_1"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/371841","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41135"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=371841"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/371841\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/371727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=371841"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=371841"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=371841"},{"taxonomy":"state_laws_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/state_laws_tags?post=371841"},{"taxonomy":"flmsa","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/flmsa?post=371841"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}