Committee adopts tougher penalties for strangulation in domestic‑violence cases

The House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee on Wednesday reported House Bill 160 favorably as amended, approving a measure to increase penalties for strangulation linked to domestic violence.

Representative Doyle Knox, the bill’s author, said the measure responds to an anomaly in current sentencing: "you can get more time for abusing or strangling a dog than you can a woman," and that the bill brings punishment for strangulation into alignment with comparable serious offenses. Vice Chair LaFleur offered and the committee adopted amendment 1803, which requires that at least one year of the sentence be served without benefit of probation or suspension for an offender who commits certain battery offenses that involve strangulation.

Brandy Melissa, who identified herself as a survivor and whose earlier testimony supported related 2024 reforms, urged lawmakers to support HB160, recounting long-term injuries and risks caused by escalating domestic abuse. Edward McGowan, first assistant at the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office, told the committee current maximum penalties ‘‘are insufficient to penalize the gravity of the crime’’ and argued strangulation is a strong indicator of future lethality.

The committee recorded broad law‑enforcement and prosecutor support on the green cards, with multiple district attorneys and the Louisiana Sheriffs Association listed as present and supporting the measure. With no objection, the committee reported HB160 favorably as amended; the measure will move to the House floor for further consideration.

The hearing did not reflect a final enactment; further amendment or floor debate is possible.