{"data":{"id":"us-dc/d.c.-code-23-115","jurisdiction":"us-dc","citation":"D.C. Code § 23-115","heading":"Limits on defenses that justify, excuse, or mitigate a defendant's conduct on the basis of a victim's gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.","body":"(a)\nIn any prosecution, criminal proceeding, or criminal trial, when applicable to the offense charged, for the purposes of proving:\n(1)\nHeat of passion caused by adequate provocation, a defendant's provocation was not objectively adequate if it was based on discovery of, knowledge about, or the potential disclosure of the victim's actual or perceived gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation;\n(2)\nInsanity, the defendant did not lack substantial capacity if the mental disease or defect at issue was based on discovery of, knowledge about, or the potential disclosure of the victim's actual or perceived gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation; or\n(3)\nSelf-defense, defense of others, or defense of property, the defendant was not justified in using force if the basis for their belief in imminent danger was based on discovery of, knowledge about, or the potential disclosure of the victim's actual or perceived gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.\n\n(b)\nNotwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, the defense may present evidence of prior trauma to the defendant for the purposes of excusing or justifying the defendant's conduct or mitigating the severity of the offense.","path":["Title 23. Criminal Procedure. [Enacted title]","Chapter 1. General Provisions."],"source_url":"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/23-115","current_through":"2026-08-20 (D.C. Law 26-175)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-29T05:44:07Z","sha256":"1899a8736aff8bcf877a0107bdf3b4e3606616e385e25c663d50956abdc5b777","source_id":"us-dc","stale":false,"prev":"us-dc/d.c.-code-23-114","next":"us-dc/d.c.-code-23-301"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}