Section 16-5-24. Aggravated battery

   (a) A person commits the offense of aggravated battery when he or she maliciously causes bodily harm to another by depriving him or her of a member of his or her body, by rendering a member of his or her body useless, or by seriously disfiguring his or her body or a member thereof.

(b) Except as provided in subsections (c) through (h) of this Code section, a person convicted of the offense of aggravated battery shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than 20 years.

(c) A person who knowingly commits the offense of aggravated battery upon a peace officer while the officer is engaged in, or on account of the performance of, his or her official duties shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not less than ten nor more than 20 years.

(d) Any person who commits the offense of aggravated battery against a person who is 65 years of age or older shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not less than five nor more than 20 years.
   (e)(1) As used in this subsection, the term "correctional officer" shall include superintendents, wardens, deputy wardens, guards, and correctional officers of state, county, and municipal penal institutions who are certified by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council pursuant to Chapter 8 of Title 35 and employees of the Department of Juvenile Justice who are known to be employees of the department or who have given reasonable identification of their employment. The term "correctional officer" shall also include county jail officers who are certified or registered by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council pursuant to Chapter 8 of Title 35.

   (2) A person who knowingly commits the offense of aggravated battery upon a correctional officer while the correctional officer is engaged in, or on account of the performance of, his or her official duties shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not less than ten nor more than 20 years.

(f) Any person who commits the offense of aggravated battery in a public transit vehicle or station shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not less than five nor more than 20 years. For purposes of this Code section, "public transit vehicle" has the same meaning as in subsection (c) of Code Section 16-5-20.

(g) Any person who commits the offense of aggravated battery upon a student or teacher or other school personnel within a school safety zone as defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Code Section 16-11-127.1 shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not less than five nor more than 20 years.

(h) If the offense of aggravated battery is committed between past or present spouses, persons who are parents of the same child, parents and children, stepparents and stepchildren, foster parents and foster children, or other persons excluding siblings living or formerly living in the same household, the defendant shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than three nor more than 20 years.

Laws 1833, Cobb's 1851 Digest, pp. 786, 787; Code 1863, § 4238; Code 1868, § 4273; Code 1873, § 4339; Code 1882, § 4339; Penal Code 1895, § 83; Penal Code 1910, § 83; Code 1933, § 26-1201; Code 1933, § 26-1305, enacted by Ga. L. 1968, p. 1249, § 1; Ga. L. 1976, p. 543, § 2; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 16; Ga. L. 1984, p. 900, § 2; Ga. L. 1985, p. 628, § 2; Ga. L. 1991, p. 971, §§ 9, 10; Ga. L. 1994, p. 1012, § 9; Ga. L. 1996, p. 988, § 2; Ga. L. 1997, p. 1453, § 1; Ga. L. 1999, p. 381, § 5; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1626, § 2; Ga. L. 2003, p. 140, § 16.