BILL NUMBER: SB 1320 CHAPTERED 09/24/02 CHAPTER 832 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 24, 2002 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 23, 2002 PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 28, 2002 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 26, 2002 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 28, 2002 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 8, 2002 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 18, 2002 AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 11, 2002 INTRODUCED BY Senator Kuehl (Coauthors: Senators Alpert, Chesbro, Romero, Soto, and Speier) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Alquist, Bates, Cohn, Diaz, Frommer, Koretz, Longville, Lowenthal, Robert Pacheco, Pavley, and Strom-Martin) JANUARY 28, 2002 An act to amend Section 646.9 of the Penal Code, relating to stalking. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1320, Kuehl. Stalking. Under existing law, any person who willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly follows or harasses another person when a credible threat, intended to place that person in fear for his or her safety or the safety of his or her immediate family, is made is guilty of the crime of stalking. Under existing law, as interpreted by the courts, a violation of this law may be committed by following maliciously and repeatedly or by harassing only once without malice. Under existing law, "harasses" refers to a course of conduct that would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress, and that actually causes such distress, as specified. Existing law provides that, for these purposes, a "course of conduct" is a pattern of conduct composed of a series of acts, as specified. This bill would revise the definition of the crime of stalking to require willful, malicious, and repeated following or willful and malicious harassment. The bill would redefine course of conduct to mean 2 or more acts, as specified, would eliminate the requirement that the conduct be such as would cause a reasonable person substantial emotional distress to be considered harassment, and would eliminate the requirement that the conduct in fact cause substantial emotional distress to be deemed harassment under these provisions. This bill would also clarify the definition of "credible threat" by specifying that constitutionally protected activity is not included within its meaning. By revising the definition of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 646.9 of the Penal Code is amended to read: 646.9. (a) Any person who willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly follows or willfully and maliciously harasses another person and who makes a credible threat with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear for his or her safety, or the safety of his or her immediate family is guilty of the crime of stalking, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment, or by imprisonment in the state prison. (b) Any person who violates subdivision (a) when there is a temporary restraining order, injunction, or any other court order in effect prohibiting the behavior described in subdivision (a) against the same party, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years. (c) (1) Every person who, after having been convicted of a felony under Section 273.5, 273.6, or 422, commits a violation of subdivision (a) shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment, or by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or five years. (2) Every person who, after having been convicted of a felony under subdivision (a), commits a violation of this section shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or five years. (d) In addition to the penalties provided in this section, the sentencing court may order a person convicted of a felony under this section to register as a sex offender pursuant to subparagraph (E) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 290. (e) For the purposes of this section, "harasses" means engages in a knowing and willful course of conduct directed at a specific person that seriously alarms, annoys, torments, or terrorizes the person, and that serves no legitimate purpose. (f) For the purposes of this section, "course of conduct" means two or more acts occurring over a period of time, however short, evidencing a continuity of purpose. Constitutionally protected activity is not included within the meaning of "course of conduct." (g) For the purposes of this section, "credible threat" means a verbal or written threat, including that performed through the use of an electronic communication device, or a threat implied by a pattern of conduct or a combination of verbal, written, or electronically communicated statements and conduct, made with the intent to place the person that is the target of the threat in reasonable fear for his or her safety or the safety of his or her family, and made with the apparent ability to carry out the threat so as to cause the person who is the target of the threat to reasonably fear for his or her safety or the safety of his or her family. It is not necessary to prove that the defendant had the intent to actually carry out the threat. The present incarceration of a person making the threat shall not be a bar to prosecution under this section. Constitutionally protected activity is not included within the meaning of "credible threat." (h) For purposes of this section, the term "electronic communication device" includes, but is not limited to, telephones, cellular phones, computers, video recorders, fax machines, or pagers. "Electronic communication" has the same meaning as the term defined in Subsection 12 of Section 2510 of Title 18 of the United States Code. (i) This section shall not apply to conduct that occurs during labor picketing. (j) If probation is granted, or the execution or imposition of a sentence is suspended, for any person convicted under this section, it shall be a condition of probation that the person participate in counseling, as designated by the court. However, the court, upon a showing of good cause, may find that the counseling requirement shall not be imposed. (k) The sentencing court also shall consider issuing an order restraining the defendant from any contact with the victim, that may be valid for up to 10 years, as determined by the court. It is the intent of the Legislature that the length of any restraining order be based upon the seriousness of the facts before the court, the probability of future violations, and the safety of the victim and his or her immediate family. (l) For purposes of this section, "immediate family" means any spouse, parent, child, any person related by consanguinity or affinity within the second degree, or any other person who regularly resides in the household, or who, within the prior six months, regularly resided in the household. (m) The court shall consider whether the defendant would benefit from treatment pursuant to Section 2684. If it is determined to be appropriate, the court shall recommend that the Department of Corrections make a certification as provided in Section 2684. Upon the certification, the defendant shall be evaluated and transferred to the appropriate hospital for treatment pursuant to Section 2684. SEC. 2. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.