Domestic battery by strangulation is classified as which degree of felony?

Domestic battery by strangulation is classified as which degree of felony?

• A. Felony of the first degree
• B. Felony of the second degree
• C. Misdemeanor of the first degree
• D. Felony of the third degree

Answer: (B)

Strangulation in a domestic-violence context is treated as a particularly serious use of force, because it directly impedes breathing or blood flow and carries a high risk of severe injury or death. That seriousness is reflected in how the offense is classified: it is a felony of the second degree. In Florida law, second-degree felonies are more severe than misdemeanors or third-degree felonies but not as severe as first-degree felonies, and they carry penalties such as up to 15 years in prison and fines up to $10,000. This is why domestic battery by strangulation is not charged as a misdemeanor or a lower-degree felony, and not as a first-degree felony.

Strangulation in a domestic-violence context is treated as a particularly serious use of force, because it directly impedes breathing or blood flow and carries a high risk of severe injury or death. That seriousness is reflected in how the offense is classified: it is a felony of the second degree. In Florida law, second-degree felonies are more severe than misdemeanors or third-degree felonies but not as severe as first-degree felonies, and they carry penalties such as up to 15 years in prison and fines up to $10,000. This is why domestic battery by strangulation is not charged as a misdemeanor or a lower-degree felony, and not as a first-degree felony.