COLUMBIA, S.C. - People convicted of criminal domestic violence would face tougher penalties under a bill the Senate passed Tuesday.

A first conviction of causing physical harm to a spouse or other household member would bring a fine of $500 and up to 30 days in jail. A second offense within 10 years brings the same penalty and a third offense could mean as much as three years in prison.

When an abuser is convicted of using a weapon, the offender could spend up to 10 years in prison for the felony.

South Carolina "leads the league in domestic violence," with one of the nation's highest rates, the bill's chief sponsor Sen. Jim Ritchie said. "For far too long, South Carolina has treated domestic violence as an incidental crime of passion," said Ritchie, R-Spartanburg.

"Right now in South Carolina, serious criminal domestic violence is a misdemeanor," said Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston. Ford has tried to get parts of the legislation passed for two years.

A spouse "can half kill her and be charged with a misdemeanor. That's just not fair to women," Ford said.

Ritchie said increasing the penalties "to the level of a violent crime and a felony is essential to breaking the cycle of criminal domestic violence in this state."

ON THE NET

Criminal domestic violence bill: http://www.scstatehouse.net/sess115_2003-2004/bills/477.htm