Mississippi Code
Miss. Code Ann. § 43-47-19 (2026)
Prohibition against abuse, neglect, or exploitation; penalties; relation to other laws
✓ current as of July 2026
- (1) It shall be unlawful for any person to abuse, neglect or exploit any vulnerable person.
- (2)
- (a) Any person who willfully commits an act or willfully omits the performance of any duty, which act or omission contributes to, tends to contribute to, or results in neglect, physical pain, injury, mental anguish, unreasonable confinement or deprivation of services which are necessary to maintain the mental or physical health of a vulnerable person, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or by imprisonment not to exceed one (1) year in the county jail, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Any accepted medical procedure performed in the usual scope of practice shall not be a violation of this subsection.
- (b) Any person who willfully exploits a vulnerable person, where the value of the exploitation is less than Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00), shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not to exceed Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) or by imprisonment not to exceed one (1) year in the county jail, or by both such fine and imprisonment; where the value of the exploitation is Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00) or more, the person who exploits a vulnerable person shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for not more than ten (10) years.
- (3) Any person who willfully inflicts physical pain or injury upon a vulnerable person shall be guilty of felonious abuse or battery, or both, of a vulnerable person and, upon conviction thereof, may be punished by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for not more than twenty (20) years.
- (4) Any person who willfully inflicts severe mental anguish upon a vulnerable person shall be guilty of a felony and shall be sentenced to not less than one (1) year nor more than five (5) years in the custody of the Department of Corrections and shall be fined not less than Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) nor more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00).
- (5) For any third or subsequent misdemeanor conviction of any person violating any part of this section, the offenses being committed within a period of five (5) years, such person shall be guilty of a felony and shall be sentenced to not less than one (1) year nor more than five (5) years in the custody of the Department of Corrections and shall be fined not less than Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) nor more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00).
- (6) Nothing contained in this section shall prevent proceedings against a person under any statute of this state or municipal ordinance defining any act as a crime or misdemeanor.
Laws, 1986, ch. 468, § 10; reenacted, Laws, 1989, ch. 381, § 10; Laws, 1990, ch. 493, § 6; Laws, 2001, ch. 603, § 4; Laws, 2003, ch. 558, § 2; Laws, 2010, ch. 357, § 11; Laws, 2011, ch. 365, § 1; Laws, 2012, ch. 439, § 2, eff. 7/1/2012.
Amended by Laws, 2019, ch. 368, HB 1075,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2019.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 24
cases (6 in the last 5 years), 1997–2025 · leading case: Gregory Wayne Colburn v. State of Mississippi, 201 So. 3d 462 (Miss. 2016).
Gregory Wayne Colburn v. State of Mississippi, 201 So. 3d 462 (Miss. 2016). “” Miss. Code Ann. § 43-47-19 (2)(b) (Rev. 2015).”
Boatner v. State, 754 So. 2d 1184 (Miss. 2000). “The statute in question reads as follows: Miss.Code Ann. § 43-47-19. Abuse, neglect and exploitation forbidden (1) It shall be unlawful for any person to abuse, neglect or exploit any vulnerable adult.”
Simoneaux v. State, 29 So. 3d 26 (Miss. Ct. App. 2009). “Mississippi Code Annotated section 43-47-19(3) (Rev.2004) instructs that "[a]ny person who willfully inflicts physical pain or injury upon a vulnerable adult, shall be guilty of felonious *31 abuse or battery.”
Ward v. State, 879 So. 2d 452 (Miss. Ct. App. 2003). “See Miss.Code Ann. § 43-47-19 (Rev.2000). He received a fifteen year sentence.”
Decker v. State, 66 So. 3d 654 (Miss. 2011). “Under Section 43-47-19 — as applied by the Attorney General, and as its terms are defined in Section 43-47-5 — a vulnerable adult cannot give a spouse permission to withdraw money from a checking account to buy herself a birthday present; or give one of her children or…”
Mariner Health Care v. Est. of Edwards, 964 So. 2d 1138 (Miss. 2007). “Because the Minimum Standards address only willful violations, they cannot be employed to establish the standard of care applicable in a negligence suit.”
Melissa Webster v. State of Mississippi, 152 So. 3d 1200 (Miss. Ct. App. 2014). “Mississippi Code Annotated section 43-47-19(1) (Supp.2014) makes it "unlawful for any person to abuse, neglect[,] or exploit any vulnerable person.”
Molden v. Miss. State Dept. of Health, 730 So. 2d 29 (Miss. 1998). “The record reveals that on February 14, 1996 Molden was convicted in the Jackson County Circuit Court on a plea of nolo contendere to a charge of misdemeanor abuse of a vulnerable adult pursuant to Miss.Code Ann. § 43-47-19(1). As a result, pursuant to the Department's…”
Hager v. State, 996 So. 2d 94 (Miss. Ct. App. 2008). “This misdemeanor offense is codified in Mississippi Code Annotated section 43-47-19(2)(a) (Rev.2004): Any person who willfully commits an act or willfully omits the performance of any duty, which act or omission contributes to, tends to contribute to, or results in physical…”
Stephanie Fields v. State of Mississippi, 228 So. 3d 942 (Miss. Ct. App. 2017). “§ 97-19-85; one count of attempted felony use of a Social Security number; three counts of felony exploitation of a vulnerable adult, Miss. Code Ann. § 43-47-19 (b) (Rev. 2004); and one count of attempted felony exploitation of a vulnerable adult.”
Mayfield v. Butler Snow LLP, 341 F. Supp. 3d 664 (S.D. Miss. 2018). “" Miss. Code Ann. § 43-47-19 (3). 1. The Constitutional Violations (§ 1983) The threshold question is whether the plaintiffs' § 1983 claims are timely.”
Brown v. State, 102 So. 3d 1130 (Miss. Ct. App. 2011). “The same is true of innumerable other felonies that can be committed both with or without force or violence, or threat thereof, to another, including as examples: abuse of a vulnerable adult in violation of Mississippi Code Annotated section 43-47-19 (Rev. 2009), extortion in…”
— Miss. Code Ann. § 43-47-19(1) — 8 cases
Decker v. State, 66 So. 3d 654 (Miss. 2011). “Under Section 43-47-19 — as applied by the Attorney General, and as its terms are defined in Section 43-47-5 — a vulnerable adult cannot give a spouse permission to withdraw money from a checking account to buy herself a birthday present; or give one of her children or…”
Gregory Wayne Colburn v. State of Mississippi, 201 So. 3d 462 (Miss. 2016). “” Miss. Code Ann. § 43-47-19 (2)(b) (Rev. 2015).”
Melissa Webster v. State of Mississippi, 152 So. 3d 1200 (Miss. Ct. App. 2014). “Mississippi Code Annotated section 43-47-19(1) (Supp.2014) makes it "unlawful for any person to abuse, neglect[,] or exploit any vulnerable person.”
Molden v. Miss. State Dept. of Health, 730 So. 2d 29 (Miss. 1998). “The record reveals that on February 14, 1996 Molden was convicted in the Jackson County Circuit Court on a plea of nolo contendere to a charge of misdemeanor abuse of a vulnerable adult pursuant to Miss.Code Ann. § 43-47-19(1). As a result, pursuant to the Department's…”
Boatner v. State, 754 So. 2d 1184 (Miss. 2000). “The statute in question reads as follows: Miss.Code Ann. § 43-47-19. Abuse, neglect and exploitation forbidden (1) It shall be unlawful for any person to abuse, neglect or exploit any vulnerable adult.”
— Miss. Code Ann. § 43-47-19(2) — 4 cases
Boatner v. State, 754 So. 2d 1184 (Miss. 2000). “The statute in question reads as follows: Miss.Code Ann. § 43-47-19. Abuse, neglect and exploitation forbidden (1) It shall be unlawful for any person to abuse, neglect or exploit any vulnerable adult.”
Ward v. State, 879 So. 2d 452 (Miss. Ct. App. 2003). “See Miss.Code Ann. § 43-47-19 (Rev.2000). He received a fifteen year sentence.”
Ivy v. State, 736 So. 2d 1050 (Miss. Ct. App. 1999).
Bonnette Beard Boatner v. State of Mississippi (Miss. 1998).
— Miss. Code Ann. § 43-47-19(2)(a) — 1 case
Hager v. State, 996 So. 2d 94 (Miss. Ct. App. 2008). “This misdemeanor offense is codified in Mississippi Code Annotated section 43-47-19(2)(a) (Rev.2004): Any person who willfully commits an act or willfully omits the performance of any duty, which act or omission contributes to, tends to contribute to, or results in physical…”
— Miss. Code Ann. § 43-47-19(2)(b) — 3 cases
Gregory Wayne Colburn v. State of Mississippi, 201 So. 3d 462 (Miss. 2016). “” Miss. Code Ann. § 43-47-19 (2)(b) (Rev. 2015).”
Melissa Webster v. State of Mississippi, 152 So. 3d 1200 (Miss. Ct. App. 2014). “Mississippi Code Annotated section 43-47-19(1) (Supp.2014) makes it "unlawful for any person to abuse, neglect[,] or exploit any vulnerable person.”
Jeffery LeCompte v. State of Mississippi (Miss. Ct. App. 2023).
— Miss. Code Ann. § 43-47-19(3) — 3 cases
Simoneaux v. State, 29 So. 3d 26 (Miss. Ct. App. 2009). “Mississippi Code Annotated section 43-47-19(3) (Rev.2004) instructs that "[a]ny person who willfully inflicts physical pain or injury upon a vulnerable adult, shall be guilty of felonious *31 abuse or battery.”
Ward v. State, 879 So. 2d 452 (Miss. Ct. App. 2003). “See Miss.Code Ann. § 43-47-19 (Rev.2000). He received a fifteen year sentence.”
Mayfield v. Butler Snow LLP, 341 F. Supp. 3d 664 (S.D. Miss. 2018). “" Miss. Code Ann. § 43-47-19 (3). 1. The Constitutional Violations (§ 1983) The threshold question is whether the plaintiffs' § 1983 claims are timely.”
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