(a) (1) Except as otherwise provided in Section 243.6, when a battery is committed on school property, park property, or the grounds of a public or private hospital, against any person, the battery is punishable by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2,000), or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year, or by both the fine and imprisonment.

(2) When a violation of this section is committed by a minor on school property, the court may, in addition to any other fine, sentence, or as a condition of probation, order the minor to attend counseling as deemed appropriate by the court at the expense of the minor’s parents. The court shall take into consideration the ability of the minor’s parents to pay, however, no minor shall be relieved of attending counseling because of the minor’s parents’ inability to pay for the counseling imposed by this section.

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Terms Used In California Penal Code 243.2

  • county: includes "city and county". See California Penal Code 7
  • person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See California Penal Code 7
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • property: includes both real and personal property. See California Penal Code 7

(b) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

(1) “Hospital” means a facility for the diagnosis, care, and treatment of human illness that is subject to, or specifically exempted from, the licensure requirements of Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 1250) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code.

(2) “Park” means any publicly maintained or operated park. It does not include any facility when used for professional sports or commercial events.

(3) “School” means any elementary school, junior high school, four-year high school, senior high school, adult school or any branch thereof, opportunity school, continuation high school, regional occupational center, evening high school, technical school, or community college.

(c) This section shall not apply to conduct arising during the course of an otherwise lawful labor dispute.

(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 484, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2002.)