Strangulation charges carry serious consequences in Arkansas. If someone accuses you of choking or restricting another person’s breathing, prosecutors can pursue a felony under the domestic battering statute. You need to understand how the law defines this offense, how prosecutors classify it, and what penalties you could face.
How Arkansas defines felony strangulation
Arkansas law includes strangulation within domestic battering in the second degree. A person commits this offense if they knowingly impede the breathing or circulation of a family or household member by applying pressure to the throat or neck or by blocking the nose or mouth. The statute does not require loss of consciousness. Even slight pressure can support a charge if it interferes with normal breathing or blood flow, and officers often look for redness, bruising, voice changes, or trouble swallowing when deciding whether to arrest.
What penalties can you face?
Domestic battery in the second degree is generally a Class B felony in Arkansas. A Class B felony carries a prison sentence of five to twenty years and substantial fines. In limited circumstances defined by statute, the charge may fall to a Class C felony, which carries a sentence of three to ten years. A conviction can also affect your firearm rights under state and federal law, limit employment opportunities, and result in court-ordered no-contact conditions that restrict where you live or who you see.
How prosecutors try to prove the charge
Prosecutors often rely on the accuser’s testimony, medical records, photographs, and statements from witnesses. They try to show that you knowingly applied pressure that impeded breathing or circulation. The state may argue that visible marks support claims of pressure to the throat or neck, but visible injury is not required under the statute. The strength of the case often turns on whether the evidence actually shows interference with breathing rather than mere physical contact.
Violent crime charges can move quickly through the court system. Judges may impose bond conditions and protective orders within days of an arrest, and those orders can affect your housing, family contact, and daily routine. Understanding how the law defines impeded breathing and how prosecutors classify the offense helps you assess the risks and prepare for the process ahead.