{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-503.110","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 503.110","heading":"Use of force by person with responsibility for care, discipline, or safety of","body":"others.\n(1) The use of physical force by a defendant upon another person is justifiable when the\ndefendant is a parent, guardian, or other person entrusted with the care and\nsupervision of a minor or an incompetent person or when the defendant is a teacher\nor other person entrusted with the care and supervision of a minor, for a special\npurpose, and:\n(a) The defendant believes that the force used is necessary to promote the w elfare\nof a minor or mentally disabled person or, if the defendant's responsibility for\nthe minor or mentally disabled person is for a special purpose, to further that\nspecial purpose or maintain reasonable discipline in a school, class, or other\ngroup; and\n(b) The force that is used is not designed to cause or known to create a substantial\nrisk of causing death, serious physical injury, disfigurement, extreme pain, or\nextreme mental distress.\n(2) The use of physical force by a defendant upon another person is justifiable when the\ndefendant is a warden or other authorized official of a correctional institution, and:\n(a) The defendant believes that the force used is necessary for the purpose of\nenforcing the lawful rules of the institution;\n(b) The degree of force used is not forbidden by any statute governing the\nadministration of the institution; and\n(c) If deadly force is used, its use is otherwise justifiable under this code.\n(3) The use of physical force by a defendant upon another person is justifiable when the\ndefendant is a person responsible for the operation of or the maintenance of order in\na vehicle or other carrier of passengers and the defendant believes that such force is\nnecessary to prevent interference with its operation or to maintain order i n the\nvehicle or other carrier, except that deadly physical force may be used only when\nthe defendant believes it necessary to prevent death or serious physical injury.\n(4) The use of physical force by a defendant upon another person is justifiable when the\ndefendant is a doctor or other therapist or a person assisting him at his direction,\nand:\n(a) The force is used for the purpose of administering a recognized form of\ntreatment which the defendant believes to be adapted to promoting the\nphysical or mental health of the patient; and\n(b) The treatment is administered with the consent of the patient or, if the patient\nis a minor or a mentally disabled person, with the consent of the parent,\nguardian, or other person legally competent to consent in his behalf,  or the\ntreatment is administered in an emergency when the defendant believes that\nno one competent to consent can be consulted and that a reasonable person,\nwishing to safeguard the welfare of the patient, would consent.","path":["KRS Chapter 503"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=19677","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T21:00:00Z","sha256":"e724a839950fd29b681082f79411c22dc9c476f68be04d50bec42b92d04f63b4","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-503.100","next":"us-ky/krs-503.120"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}