Crimes: homicide.

Assembly Member Zbur's homicide reform legislation redefines when killing another person can be legally justified under California law, removing provisions that previously allowed homicide during riot suppression while establishing new parameters around self-defense and the use of deadly force.

The bill creates three specific circumstances where homicide would not be justified: when a person outside their property could have safely retreated, when they used more force than reasonably necessary for self-defense, or when they initiated the confrontation. However, initial aggressors may still claim justification if they made good faith attempts to stop fighting and clearly communicated this intent, or in mutual combat situations, gave their opponent an opportunity to disengage. The legislation preserves existing legal protections for those who use deadly force against intruders in their homes.

Under the proposed changes, homicide remains legally justified when resisting attempted murder or great bodily injury, defending against violent home invasions, and protecting oneself or specific others from imminent felonious threats. The bill maintains these core self-defense principles while implementing new requirements around proportional force and the duty to retreat when safely possible outside one's residence.

The measure creates a state-mandated local program to implement these changes, though local agencies would not receive state reimbursement for associated costs since the bill modifies crime definitions. Law enforcement agencies and courts would need to apply these revised standards when evaluating whether homicides were legally justified.