New Criminal Laws for California 2010

New Laws for 2010

For criminal law practitioners. California Criminal–law Statutes, Rules of Court, and Official Forms

Compiled and edited, with comments, by

Garrick Byers Statute Decoder

Senior Defense Attorney, Fresno County Public Defenders Office Member, Legislative Committee Calif. Public Defenders Assoc. gbyers@co.fresno.ca.us

December 31, 2009



Table of Contents

HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS...................................................... 8

INCREASED VALUE–THRESHOLDS BEFORE CERTAIN THEFTS, OR RELATED OFFENSES, CAN BE CHARGED AS FELONIES ... 10

Chart: Increase in Dollar Amounts to Be a Felony .......................................... 11

SENTENCE REDUCTION CREDITS [TIME CREDITS] .................. 13

County Jail............................................................................................................ 13

State Prison........................................................................................................... 14

PAROLE: ........................................................................................ 15

Restriction on Return to Prison for Violations ................................................. 15

The New “Parole Reentry Accountability Program”....................................... 17

2 New Laws for 2010



PROBATION................................................................................... 19

Transfer of Supervision and the Case to County of Residence: Previously Optional, Now Often Mandatory........................................................................ 19

The New California Community Corrections Performance Incentives ......... 20

DEFERRED ENTRY OF JUDGMENT REENTRY PROGRAM........ 21

CRIMINAL PROCEDURE ............................................................... 24

Release on Citation No Longer Permitted for Certain Misdemeanors; Booking At the Scene........................................................................................... 24

Search Warrants: Firearms................................................................................ 25

General Time Waiver Revocation Can Now Only Be Done “in Open Court.” ................................................................................................................................ 26

When the Defendant Places Mental State in Issue, a Prosecution Exam Can Now be Ordered ................................................................................................... 27

Conditional Exams Now Permitted in Certain Domestic Violence Cases When There is Witness Dissuasion................................................................................ 28

3 New Laws for 2010



LOCAL FEES IN CRIMINAL CASES............................................... 28

CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS....................................................... 30

Boating and Vessels: Clarified, and Some Increased, Penalties (Not Alcohol or Drug Related) ....................................................................................................... 30

“Composite Knuckles” Replaces Plastic Knuckles........................................... 30

Cow Tail Docking................................................................................................. 31

Controlled Substances: Nitrous Oxide Sale....................................................... 31

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs: Ignition Interlock Devices, and Driver’s License Consequences................................................................... 32

Electronic and Digital–Age Crimes.................................................................... 33 Prohibition of Publication of Certain Information About Persons in the Witness Protection Program. ........................................................................................... 33 Prohibition of Publication of Certain Personal Information of Public Officials. ............................................................................................................................ 34 Computer Hacking: Financial Institutions............ ............................................. 35

Gangs: Registrants Loitering On or Near School Grounds............................. 35

Hate Crimes: Nooses............................................................................................ 36

4 New Laws for 2010



Human Trafficking: Abduction or Fraudulent Inducement For Prostitution; Minors ................................................................................................................... 36

Mortgage Fraud ................................................................................................... 37

Sports Betting Pools: Partial Reduction in Penalty.......................................... 37

Weapons on School Grounds : Added Prohibited Items.................................. 38

FORFEITURE AND PROPERTY DISPOSITION............................. 38

Dog Fighting ......................................................................................................... 38

Counterfeit Goods: Donating to Charity........................................................... 39

RESTITUTION ................................................................................ 39

Enhanced Collection from Prisoners ................................................................. 39

Tax Refund Withholding To Collect Restitution Fines.................................... 40

Vandalism ............................................................................................................. 40

COLLATERAL CONSEQUENCES: BACKGROUND CHECKS...... 41

5 New Laws for 2010



JUVENILE DELINQUENCY ............................................................ 41

Re–entry Services For Those “Aged–out” or Timed–out from DJJ............... 41

A New Interstate Compact for juveniles............................................................ 42

EVIDENCE CODE: ONLY TECHNICAL, OR VERY MINOR, CHANGES. ..................................................................................... 43

Technical, Nonsubstantive, or Minor Changes to Sections 795, 1010, 1118, and 1294. ............................................................................................................... 43

Lawyer–Client Privilege: These Changes Only Effect Decedent’s Estates.... 43

RULES OF COURT......................................................................... 44

Juvenile Appellate Rules. .................................................................................... 44

Online Membership Account, Including Email, With State Bar: Required.. 45

JUDICIAL COUNCIL FORMS ......................................................... 46

6 New Laws for 2010



SUPREME COURT FILING RESTRICTIONS................................. 46

LOCAL ORDINANCES ON DRUG ABATEMENT PERMITTED...... 47

DAMAGE CLAIMS FOR ERRONEOUS CONVICTION................... 47

7 New Laws for 2010



Highlights and Lowlights

For the first time in at least a decade, the new laws that one might consider detrimental to defendants are outweighed by those that one might consider beneficial. This is largely due to three major sets of amendments enacted at the 2009 Third Extraordinary Session of the Legislature, all in SBx3 18 (Ducheney), Stats. 2009, 3rd Ex. Sess., Ch. 28. These three new laws are effective Jan. 25, 2010. 1. The dollar amount or value for determining if certain thefts, or certain other property crimes, are, or can be, punishable as felonies or not (or if the person is liable for other increased punishment) is increased. For example, receiving stolen property formerly could be charged as a felony if the property’s value was over $400; now the value must be over $950. See “Increased Value–Thresholds Before Certain Thefts, or Related Offenses, Can Be Charged As Felonies” 2. Sentence reduction credits (“time credits”) are increased for most inmates of prisons and of county jails! See “Sentence Reduction Credits” 3. Low risk, less serious offenders can no longer be sent back to prison for parole violations. See “Parole” NOTE: These changes are not shown in the newly issued West’s California Penal and Evid ence Codes 2010 Desktop Edition. (I hope that West will issue a Supplementary Pamphlet.) These changes are shown on Westlaw, and in the newly issued Lexis–Nexis Standard California Codes Penal Code 2010 Edition.

A new Deferred Entry of Judgment Reentry Program (see the entry in that name) for “first time nonviolent drug offenders” can be establishment by the local court, but state funds cannot be sought. The legislature continued to enact few new crimes and punishments, because of the expense. Misdemeanor penalties for Internet publication of protected witness information expands Internet crime past crimes against children and theft–related offenses. Public officials’ contact information can also be protected. See “Electronic and Digital–Age Crimes.” 8 New Laws for 2010



The Legislature continues to increase the types of jobs for which criminal background checks are required. This time it’s custodians of records of agencies that receive DOJ criminal background checks. See: Collateral Consequences: Background Checks Search Warrants can now be issued for firearms of persons arrested for domestic violence involving threats or assaults, of persons detained for mental examinations, and of persons subject to certain restraining or protective orders. See: Search Warrants.

Avoid Late Filing: • Pre–trial motions must now be filed 10 court days. Response–time is also increased to 5 court days. Amended Calif. Rule of Court 4.111. See “Rules of Court.” • Supreme Court filings can no longer be done at any Court of Appeal.. The Los Angeles Clerk’s Office of the Supreme Court of California is closed.. All “petitions for review, writs, and legal briefs” must be filed the court’s San Francisco Office. See “Supreme Court Filing Restrictions”

Online Membership Account, Including Email, With State Bar: Required. New Rule of Court 9.7 is effective Feb. 1, 2010. See “Rules of Court.”

Abbreviations:

SB = Senate Bill, 2009 – 2010 regular session SBx3 = Senate Bill, 2009 3rd extraordinary session AB = Assembly Bill, 2009 – 2010 regular session Stats. 2009 = Statutes and Amendments to the Codes, 2009 Stats. 2009 3x = Stats. 2009, 3rd Extraordinary Session Ch = Chapter number (assigned by the Sec. of State)

All Statutes, Rules, and Forms are effective January 1, 2010, unless noted. The laws enacted or amended by SBx3 18 are operative January 25, 2010. Many of the criminal law bills that could not be included here are found in the Assembly Committee on Public Safety’s” 2009 Bill Summary.” 9 New Laws for 2010



Increased Value–Thresholds Before Certain Thefts, or Related Offenses, Can Be Charged As Felonies Enacted by SBx3 18 (Ducheney); Stats. 2009, 3x Ch. 28. Statutes affected: listed in the chart, below. Operative January 25, 2010. This value increase may be found by the courts to be retroactive for clients whose conviction is not yet final on appeal. See, e.g., People v. Nasalga (1996) 12 Cal.4th 784 (applying an increase in the loss–amount required for an enhancement retroactively to those whose convictions were not final when the increase became effective). See the note in Highlights and Lowlights, above. These changes are not shown in West’s Penal and Evidence Codes 2010 Desktop Edition. The Legislative Counsel’s Digest summarized this portion of the Bill as follows:

“Existing law establishes certain values for determining if theft or certain other property crimes are punishable as felonies or not. Existing law provides that for many of these crimes, the threshold is $400, while the thresholds for certain other crimes are $100, $200, and $1,000, as specified. “This bill would increase certain of those thresholds, for example, by increasing certain $400 thresholds to $950.”

There is no increase for most thefts, under Pen. C. § 487, subd. (a), such as theft of currency or jewelry. But for receiving stolen property (Pen. C. §496, increased from $400 to $950), non–sufficient funds checks (Pen. C. §476a, increased from $200 to 400), and for over 30 other types of theft and property crimes, the amounts are increased.

10 New Laws for 201 0



Chart: Increase in Dollar Amounts to Be a Felony See the NOTE in Highlights and Lowlights, above. These changes are not shown in West’s Penal and Evidence Codes 2010 Desktop Edition.

Code and Section Old $ Amount New $ Amount

Other Codes Bus.& Prof § 14491 Bus & Prof. § 17550.19 (amt for all persons) Bus & Prof. § 17550.19 (amt for any person) Bus & Prof § 21653 Financial § 5305 Military and Veterans § 421 Public Resources § 14591, subd. (b)

400 1,000 400 400 100 400 ..400

Pub. Res. § 41955 (misd; if below, can be infrc.) 400

Vehicle § 10851.5 Welf. & Inst. § 10980 Welf. & Inst § 15656 400 400 400

950 2,350 950 950 250 950 950 950 950 950 950

Penal Code § 154 § 155 § 337.4 (amount to also violate Sec. 487) 11

100 100 400 250 250 950

New Laws for 2010



§ 368, subds. (d) and (e) § 422.7 (amount needed for violation) § 476a § 484b § 484g § 484h 400 $400 200 1,000 400 400

§ 487, subd. (a) [general, e.g., theft of currency] 400 [unchanged]

§ 487, subds. (b)(1) & (b)(2) § 487, subd. (b)(3) § 487b § 487c § 487e and § 487f § 487h (SB 607; Stats. ’09 Ch. 24; Eff. 1/1/10) § 496 § 498 § 500 § 502, subd. (c)(3), generally, subd. (d) § 502, subd. (c)(3), by employee, subd. (h)(2) § 537 § 537e § 550 100 400 100 100 400 400 400 400 400 400 100 400 400 400

950 950 450 2,350 950 950 400 250 950 250 250 950 950 950 950 950 950 250 950 950 950

12 New Laws for 2010



§ 551 § 565 § 566 § 592 § 594.4 (value determines max. amt of fine) § 641.3 (amount. needed for Sec. to apply) § 4600 400 400 400 400 400 100 400 950 950 950 950 950 250 950

Sentence Reduction Credits [Time Credits]

See the NOTE in Highlights and Lowlights, above. These changes are not shown in West’s Penal and Evidence Codes 2010 Desktop Edition.

County Jail Enacted by SBx3 18; Stats. 2009, 3 Ex, Ch. 28 Statute effected: Pen. C. § 4019. Operative January 25, 2010. These reduction–increases may be found by the courts to be retroactive. See In re Kapperman (1974) 11 Cal.3d 542 (holding newly enacted Pen. C. § 2900.5, awarding presentence custody credits, retroactive to those incarcerated or on parole regardless of date of commitment). See the NOTE in Highlights and Lowlights, above. These changes are not shown in West’s Penal and Evidence Codes 2010 Desktop Edition. The time credits for most, but certainly not all, county jail inmates are increased. 13 New Laws for 2010



Formerly, for every four days served in county jail, most inmates were deemed to have served six. Now, for every two days served, most inmates are deemed to have served four. This is an increase, for every 4 days served, from 6 days deemed, up to 8 days. Excepted from this increase in reduction–credits are (1) those convict