Criminal law; self-defense and defense of others; presumption of unlawful use of force under certain conditions

SB 188 creates a legal presumption that a defendant’s self-defense claim was unjustified if they concealed, altered, destroyed, or disposed of a weapon used in the incident (unless voluntarily given to police). This applies to criminal cases where defendants claim self-defense or defense of others under Alabama’s existing law. The bill directly affects individuals facing criminal charges who used force, shifting the burden by presuming their defense invalid upon weapon tampering. It modifies Alabama Code §13A-3-23 to add this presumption, requiring defendants to overcome it with evidence at a pretrial hearing. The law does not change the standard for justifying force but adds a specific consequence for weapon-related conduct.