The Florida Senate

741.281  Court to order batterers' intervention program attendance.--If a person is found guilty of, has had adjudication withheld on, or has pled nolo contendere to a crime of domestic violence, as defined in s. 741.28, that person shall be ordered by the court to a minimum term of 1 year's probation and the court shall order that the defendant attend a batterers' intervention program as a condition of probation. If a person is admitted to a pretrial diversion program and has been charged with an act of domestic violence, as defined in s. 741.28, the court shall order as a condition of the program that the defendant attend a batterers' intervention program. The court must impose the condition of the batterers' intervention program for a defendant placed on probation or pretrial diversion under this section, but the court, in its discretion, may determine not to impose the condition if it states on the record why a batterers' intervention program might be inappropriate. It is preferred, but not mandatory, that such programs be certified under s. 741.32. The imposition of probation under this section shall not preclude the court from imposing any sentence of imprisonment authorized by s. 775.082.

History.--s. 19, ch. 95-195; s. 2, ch. 96-392.