Self-defense.

Assembly Members Flora and Chen propose new parameters for self-defense law in California through legislation that would modify when individuals can legally respond to perceived threats and shield them from civil liability when doing so appropriately. The bill defines an "imminent threat of bodily harm" to include deliberate feints, fake strikes, or aggressive movements that reasonably indicate an impending physical attack.

Under the proposed changes, individuals who perceive an imminent threat would not need to wait for a physical attack to begin before taking defensive action. The legislation specifies that such defensive measures must be proportional to the perceived threat and cease once the threat ends. When evaluating whether defensive actions were reasonable, courts would be prohibited from considering an individual's background, training, or professional fighting experience.

The bill would also establish civil liability protections for those who lawfully resist public offenses, though these protections would not extend to primary aggressors or those who employ disproportionate force. These provisions build upon existing law that permits necessary force to protect oneself, family members, and others from wrongful injury.