BILL NUMBER: AB 327 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 26, 2012
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 4, 2012
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Davis
FEBRUARY 10, 2011
An act to amend Sections 667 and , 667.1,
1170.12 , and 1170.125 of the Penal Code, relating
to sentencing.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 327, as amended, Davis. Sentencing: three strikes
Three Strikes .
Existing law, contained in 2 initiative statutes, commonly known
as the Three Strikes law, requires increased penalties for certain
recidivist offenders in addition to any other enhancement or penalty
provisions that may apply. Existing law requires that if a defendant
has 2 or more prior violent or serious felony convictions, the term
for the current felony conviction shall be an indeterminate term of
imprisonment in the state prison for life with a minimum term to be
served, as specified.
This bill would provide that a defendant who has 2 or more prior
violent or serious felony convictions shall receive the enhanced
indeterminate life sentence only if the defendant's current
conviction is for a serious or violent felony, as defined.
The bill would provide that it would become effective only when
submitted to, and approved by, the voters, and would require the
Secretary of State to submit the measure to the voters at the
November 6, 2012 4, 2014 , statewide
general election.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 667 of the Penal Code is amended to read:
667. (a) (1) In compliance with subdivision (b) of Section 1385,
any person convicted of a serious felony who previously has been
convicted of a serious felony in this state or of any offense
committed in another jurisdiction which includes all of the elements
of any serious felony, shall receive, in addition to the sentence
imposed by the court for the present offense, a five-year enhancement
for each such prior conviction on charges brought and tried
separately. The terms of the present offense and each enhancement
shall run consecutively.
(2) This subdivision shall not be applied when the punishment
imposed under other provisions of law would result in a longer term
of imprisonment. There is no requirement of prior incarceration or
commitment for this subdivision to apply.
(3) The Legislature may increase the length of the enhancement of
sentence provided in this subdivision by a statute passed by majority
vote of each house thereof.
(4) As used in this subdivision, "serious felony" means a serious
felony listed in subdivision (c) of Section 1192.7.
(5) This subdivision shall not apply to a person convicted of
selling, furnishing, administering, or giving, or offering to sell,
furnish, administer, or give to a minor any methamphetamine-related
drug or any precursors of methamphetamine unless the prior conviction
was for a serious felony described in subparagraph (24) of
subdivision (c) of Section 1192.7.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting subdivisions
(b) to (i), inclusive, to ensure longer prison sentences and greater
punishment for those who commit a felony and have been previously
convicted of serious and/or violent felony offenses.
(c) Notwithstanding any other law, if a defendant has been
convicted of a felony and it has been pled and proved that the
defendant has one or more prior serious or violent felony
convictions as defined in subdivision (d), the court shall adhere to
each of the following:
(1) There shall not be an aggregate term limitation for purposes
of consecutive sentencing for any subsequent felony conviction.
(2) Probation for the current offense shall not be granted, nor
shall execution or imposition of the sentence be suspended for any
prior offense.
(3) The length of time between the prior serious or violent
felony conviction and the current felony conviction shall not
affect the imposition of sentence.
(4) There shall not be a commitment to any other facility other
than the state prison. Diversion shall not be granted nor shall the
defendant be eligible for commitment to the California Rehabilitation
Center as provided in Article 2 (commencing with Section 3050) of
Chapter 1 of Division 3 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(5) The total amount of credits awarded pursuant to Article 2.5
(commencing with Section 2930) of Chapter 7 of Title 1 of Part 3
shall not exceed one-fifth of the total term of imprisonment imposed
and shall not accrue until the defendant is physically placed in the
state prison.
(6) If there is a current conviction for more than one felony
count not committed on the same occasion, and not arising from the
same set of operative facts, the court shall sentence the defendant
consecutively on each count pursuant to subdivision (e).
(7) If there is a current conviction for more than one serious or
violent felony as described in paragraph (6), the court shall impose
the sentence for each conviction consecutive to the sentence for any
other conviction for which the defendant may be consecutively
sentenced in the manner prescribed by law.
(8) Any sentence imposed pursuant to subdivision (e) will be
imposed consecutive to any other sentence which the defendant is
already serving, unless otherwise provided by law.
(d) Notwithstanding any other law and for the purposes of
subdivisions (b) to (i), inclusive, a prior conviction of a
serious or violent felony shall be defined as:
(1) Any offense defined in subdivision (c) of Section 667.5 as a
violent felony or any offense defined in subdivision (c) of Section
1192.7 as a serious felony in this state. The determination of
whether a prior conviction is a prior serious or violent
felony conviction for purposes of subdivisions (b) to (i), inclusive,
shall be made upon the date of that prior conviction and is not
affected by the sentence imposed unless the sentence automatically,
upon the initial sentencing, converts the felony to a misdemeanor.
None of the following dispositions shall affect the determination
that a prior serious or violent felony conviction is a
prior felony for purposes of subdivisions (b) to (i), inclusive:
(A) The suspension of imposition of judgment or sentence.
(B) The stay of execution of sentence.
(C) The commitment to the State Department of Health Services as a
mentally disordered sex offender following a conviction of a felony.
(D) The commitment to the California Rehabilitation Center or any
other facility whose function is rehabilitative diversion from the
state prison.
(2) A prior conviction in another jurisdiction for an
offense that, if committed in California, is punishable by
imprisonment in the state prison. A prior
prison shall constitute a prior conviction of a particular
serious or violent felony shall include a
if the prior conviction in another
the other jurisdiction is for an offense that
includes all of the elements of the particular violent
felony as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 667.5 or serious
felony as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 1192.7.
(3) A prior juvenile adjudication shall constitute a prior
serious or violent felony conviction for purposes of sentence
enhancement if:
(A) The juvenile was 16 years of age or older at the time he or
she committed the prior offense.
(B) The prior offense is listed in subdivision (b) of Section 707
of the Welfare and Institutions Code or described in paragraph (1) or
(2) as a serious or violent felony.
(C) The juvenile was found to be a fit and proper subject to be
dealt with under the juvenile court law.
(D) The juvenile was adjudged a ward of the juvenile court within
the meaning of Section 602 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
because the person committed an offense listed in subdivision (b) of
Section 707 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(e) For purposes of subdivisions (b) to (i), inclusive, and in
addition to any other enhancement or punishment provisions which may
apply, the following shall apply where a defendant has a
one or more prior serious or
violent felony conviction convictions
:
(1) If a defendant has one prior serious or violent
felony conviction, as defined in subdivision (d),
that has been pled and proved, the determinate term or minimum term
for an indeterminate term shall be twice the term otherwise provided
as punishment for the current felony conviction.
(2) (A) If Except as provided in
subparagraph (C), if a defendant has two or more prior
serious or violent felony convictions, as defined in
subdivision (d), that have been pled and proved, the term for a
current felony conviction for an offense defined in
subdivision (c) of Section 667.5 as a violent felony or in
subdivision (c) of Section 1192.7 as a serious felony shall
be an indeterminate term of life imprisonment with a minimum term of
the indeterminate sentence calculated as the greater
greatest of:
(i) Three times the term otherwise provided as punishment for each
current felony conviction subsequent to the two or more prior
serious or violent felony convictions.
(ii) Imprisonment in the state prison for 25 years.
(iii) The term determined by the court pursuant to Section 1170
for the underlying conviction, including any enhancement applicable
under Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 1170) of Title 7 of Part
2, or any period prescribed by Section 190 or 3046.
(B) The indeterminate term described in subparagraph (A) shall be
served consecutive to any other term of imprisonment for which a
consecutive term may be imposed by law. Any other term imposed
subsequent to any indeterminate term described in subparagraph (A)
shall not be merged therein but shall commence at the time the person
would otherwise have been released from prison.
(C) If a defendant has two or more prior serious or violent felony
convictions, as defined in subdivision (d), that have been pled and
proved, and the current offense is not a serious or violent felony,
as defined in subdivision (d), the defendant shall be sentenced
pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (e), unless the prosecution
pleads and proves any of the following:
(i) The current offense is a controlled substance charge, in which
an allegation under Section 11370.4 or 11379.8 of the Health and
Safety Code was admitted or found true.
(ii) The current offense is a felony sex offense, as defined in
subdivision (d) of Section 261.5 or Section 262, except for Sections
266 and 285, paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) and subdivision (e) of
Section 286, and paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) and subdivision (e)
of Section 288a.
(iii) During the commission of the current offense, the defendant
used a firearm, was armed with a firearm or deadly weapon, or
intended to cause great bodily injury to another person.
(iv) The defendant suffered a prior conviction, as defined in
subdivision (d), for any of the following serious or violent
felonies:
(I) A sexually violent offense as defined in subdivision (b) of
Section 6600 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(II) Oral copulation, as defined in Section 288a, with a child who
is under 14 years of age, and who is more than 10 years younger than
the defendant; sodomy, as defined in Section 286, with a child who
is under 14 years of age, and who is more than 10 years younger than
the defendant; or sexual penetration, as defined in Section 289, with
a child who is under 14 years of age, and who is more than 10 years
younger than the defendant.
(III) A lewd or lascivious act involving a child under 14 years of
age in violation of Section 288.
(IV) An offense described in Sections 187 to 191.5, inclusive.
(V) Any serious or violent felony offense punishable by life
imprisonment or death.
(f) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, subdivisions (b) to (i),
inclusive, shall be applied in every case in which a defendant has a
prior serious or violent felony conviction as defined in
subdivision (d). The prosecuting attorney shall plead and prove each
prior serious or violent felony conviction except as
provided in paragraph (2).
(2) The prosecuting attorney may move to dismiss or strike a prior
serious or violent felony conviction allegation in the
furtherance of justice pursuant to Section 1385, or if there is
insufficient evidence to prove the prior serious or violent
conviction. If upon the satisfaction of the court that there is
insufficient evidence to prove the prior felony conviction, the court
may dismiss or strike the allegation.
(g) Prior serious or violent felony convictions shall
not be used in plea bargaining as defined in subdivision (b) of
Section 1192.7. The prosecution shall plead and prove all known prior
serious or violent felony convictions and shall not enter
into any agreement to strike or seek the dismissal of any prior
serious or violent felony conviction allegation except as
provided in paragraph (2) of subdivision (f).
(h) All references to existing statutes in subdivisions (c) to
(g), inclusive, are to statutes as they existed on June 30,
1993 November 4, 2014 .
(i) If any provision of subdivisions (b) to (h), inclusive, or the
application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid,
that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of
those subdivisions which can be given effect without the invalid
provision or application, and to this end the provisions of those
subdivisions are severable.
(j) The provisions of this section shall not be amended by the
Legislature except by statute passed in each house by rollcall vote
entered in the journal, two-thirds of the membership concurring, or
by a statute that becomes effective only when approved by the
electors.
SEC. 2. Section 667.1 of the Penal Code
is amended to read:
667.1. Notwithstanding subdivision (h) of Section 667, for all
offenses committed on or after the effective date of this act, all
references to existing statutes in subdivisions (c) to (g),
inclusive, of Section 667, are to those statutes as they existed on
the effective date of this act, including amendments made to
those statutes by the act enacted during the 2005-06 Regular Session
that amended this section November 4, 2014 .
SEC. 2. SEC. 3. Section 1170.12 of
the Penal Code is amended to read:
1170.12. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a
defendant has been convicted of a felony and it has been pled and
proved that the defendant has one or more prior serious or
violent felony convictions, as defined in subdivision (b), the
court shall adhere to each of the following:
(1) There shall not be an aggregate term limitation for purposes
of consecutive sentencing for any subsequent felony conviction.
(2) Probation for the current offense shall not be granted, nor
shall execution or imposition of the sentence be suspended for any
prior offense.
(3) The length of time between the prior serious or violent
felony conviction and the current felony conviction shall not
affect the imposition of sentence.
(4) There shall not be a commitment to any other facility other
than the state prison. Diversion shall not be granted nor shall the
defendant be eligible for commitment to the California Rehabilitation
Center as provided in Article 2 (commencing with Section 3050) of
Chapter 1 of Division 3 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(5) The total amount of credits awarded pursuant to Article 2.5
(commencing with Section 2930) of Chapter 7 of Title 1 of Part 3
shall not exceed one-fifth of the total term of imprisonment imposed
and shall not accrue until the defendant is physically placed in the
state prison.
(6) If there is a current conviction for more than one felony
count not committed on the same occasion, and not arising from the
same set of operative facts, the court shall sentence the defendant
consecutively on each count pursuant to this section.
(7) If there is a current conviction for more than one serious or
violent felony as described in paragraph (6) of this subdivision, the
court shall impose the sentence for each conviction consecutive to
the sentence for any other conviction for which the defendant may be
consecutively sentenced in the manner prescribed by law.
(8) Any sentence imposed pursuant to this section will be imposed
consecutive to any other sentence which the defendant is already
serving, unless otherwise provided by law.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law and for the
purposes of this section, a prior conviction of a serious or
violent felony shall be defined as:
(1) Any offense defined in subdivision (c) of Section 667.5 as a
violent felony or any offense defined in subdivision (c) of Section
1192.7 as a serious felony in this state. The determination of
whether a prior conviction is a prior serious or violent
felony conviction for purposes of this section shall be made upon the
date of that prior conviction and is not affected by the sentence
imposed unless the sentence automatically, upon the initial
sentencing, converts the felony to a misdemeanor. None of the
following dispositions shall affect the determination that a prior
conviction is a prior serious or violent felony for
purposes of this section:
(A) The suspension of imposition of judgment or sentence.
(B) The stay of execution of sentence.
(C) The commitment to the State Department of Mental
Health Services as a mentally disordered sex
offender following a conviction of a felony.
(D) The commitment to the California Rehabilitation Center or any
other facility whose function is rehabilitative diversion from the
state prison.
(2) A prior conviction in another jurisdiction for an
offense that, if committed in California, is punishable by
imprisonment in the state prison . A shall
constitute a prior conviction of a particular serious or
violent felony shall include a if the
prior conviction in another the other
jurisdiction for an offense that includes all of the elements
of the particular violent felony as defined in subdivision
(c) of Section 667.5 or serious felony as defined in
subdivision (c) of Section 1192.7.
(3) A prior juvenile adjudication shall constitute a prior
serious or violent felony conviction for purposes of sentence
enhancement if both of the following apply :
(A) The juvenile was sixteen years of age or older at the time he
or she committed the prior offense, and
(B) The prior offense is
(i) listed and the prior offense is listed
either in subdivision (b) of Section 707 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code, or(ii)
listed in this subdivision as a serious or
violent felony , and .
(C)
(B) The juvenile was found to be a fit and proper
subject to be dealt with under the juvenile court law, and
(D) The juvenile
and he or she was adjudged a ward of the juvenile court within
the meaning of Section 602 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
because the person he or she committed
an offense listed in subdivision (b) of Section 707 of the Welfare
and Institutions Code.
(c) For purposes of this section, and in addition to any other
enhancements or punishment provisions which may apply, the following
shall apply where a defendant has a one or
more prior serious or violent felony
conviction convictions :
(1) If a defendant has one prior serious or violent
felony conviction, as defined in paragraph (1) of
subdivision (b), that has been pled and proved, the determinate term
or minimum term for an indeterminate term shall be twice the term
otherwise provided as punishment for the current felony conviction.
(2) (A) If Except as provided in
subparagraph (C), if a defendant has two or more prior
serious or violent felony convictions, as defined in
paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), that have been pled and
proved, the term for the current felony conviction for an
offense defined in subdivision (c) of Section 667.5 as a violent
felony or in subdivision (c) of Section 1192.7 as a serious felony
shall be an indeterminate term of life imprisonment with a
minimum term of the indeterminate sentence calculated as the
greater greatest of
(i) three Three times the term
otherwise provided as punishment for each current felony conviction
subsequent to the two or more prior serious or violent
felony convictions , or .
(ii) twenty-five Twenty-five
years or .
(iii) the The term determined by the
court pursuant to Section 1170 for the underlying conviction,
including any enhancement applicable under Chapter 4.5 (commencing
with Section 1170) of Title 7 of Part 2, or any period prescribed by
Section 190 or 3046.
(B) The indeterminate term described in subparagraph (A) of
paragraph (2) of this subdivision shall be served consecutive to any
other term of imprisonment for which a consecutive term may be
imposed by law. Any other term imposed subsequent to any
indeterminate term described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of
this subdivision shall not be merged therein but shall commence at
the time the person would otherwise have been released from prison.
(C) If a defendant has two or more prior serious or violent felony
convictions, as defined in subdivision (b), that have been pled and
proved, and the current offense is not a serious or violent felony,
as described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), the defendant shall
be sentenced pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c), unless
the prosecution pleads and proves any of the following:
(i) The current offense is a controlled substance charge, in which
an allegation under Section 11370.4 or 11379.8 of the Health and
Safety Code was admitted or found true.
(ii) The current offense is a felony sex offense, as defined in
subdivision (d) of Section 261.5 or Section 262, except for Sections
266 and 285, paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) and subdivision (e) of
Section 286, and paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) and subdivision (e)
of Section 288a.
(iii) During the commission of the current offense, the defendant
used a firearm, was armed with a firearm or deadly weapon, or
intended to cause great bodily injury to another person.
(iv) The defendant suffered a prior conviction for any of the
following serious or violent felonies:
(I) A sexually violent offense, as defined in subdivision (b) of
Section 6600 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(II) Oral copulation, as defined in Section 288a, with a child who
is under 14 years of age, and who is more than 10 years younger than
the defendant; sodomy, as defined in Section 286, with a child who
is under 14 years of age, and who is more than 10 years younger than
the defendant; or sexual penetration, as defined in Section 289, with
a child who is under 14 years of age, and who is more than 10 years
younger than the defendant.
(III) A lewd or lascivious act involving a child under 14 years of
age in violation of Section 288.
(IV) An offense described in Sections 187 to 191.5, inclusive.
(V) Any serious or violent felony offense punishable by life
imprisonment or death.
(d) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this section
shall be applied in every case in which a defendant has a
one or more prior serious or violent
felony conviction convictions, as
defined in this section. The prosecuting attorney shall plead and
prove each prior serious or violent felony conviction
except as provided in paragraph (2).
(2) The prosecuting attorney may move to dismiss or strike a prior
serious or violent felony conviction allegation in the
furtherance of justice pursuant to Section 1385, or if there is
insufficient evidence to prove the prior serious or violent
conviction. If upon the satisfaction of the court that there is
insufficient evidence to prove the prior serious or violent
felony conviction, the court may dismiss or strike the
allegation.
(e) Prior serious or violent felony convictions shall
not be used in plea bargaining, as defined in subdivision (b) of
Section 1192.7. The prosecution shall plead and prove all known prior
serious or violent felony convictions and shall not enter
into any agreement to strike or seek the dismissal of any prior
serious or violent felony conviction allegation except as
provided in paragraph (2) of subdivision (d).
(f) If any provision of subdivisions (a) to (e), inclusive, or the
application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid,
that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of
those subdivisions that can be given effect without the invalid
provision or application, and to this end the provisions of those
subdivisions are severable.
(g) The provisions of this section shall not be amended by the
Legislature except by statute passed in each house by rollcall vote
entered in the journal, two-thirds of the membership concurring, or
by a statute that becomes effective only when approved by the
electors.
SEC. 4. Section 1170.125 of the Penal
Code is amended to read:
1170.125. Notwithstanding Section 2 of Proposition 184, as
adopted at the November 8, 1994, general election, for all offenses
committed on or after the effective date of this act, all references
to existing statutes in Section 1170.12 are to those statutes as they
existed on the effective date of this act, including
amendments made to those statutes by the act enacted during the
2005-06 Regular Session that amended this section
November 4, 2014 .
SEC. 5. This act is an exercise of the public
power of the people of the State of California for the protection of
the health, safety, and welfare of the people of the State of
California, and shall be liberally construed to effectuate those
purposes.
SEC. 6. If any provision of this act, or the
application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held invalid,
that invalidity shall not affect any other provision or application
of this act, which can be given effect without the invalid provision
or application in order to effectuate the purposes of this act. To
this end, the provisions of this act are severable.
SEC. 3. SEC. 7. (a) Sections 1
and 2 to 6, inclusive, of this act
affect initiative statutes, and shall become effective only when
submitted to, and approved by, the voters of California, pursuant to
subdivision (c) of Section 10 of Article II of the California
Constitution.
(b) The Secretary of State shall submit Sections 1 and 2
to 6, inclusive, of this act to the voters for
approval at the November 6, 2012 4, 2014
, statewide general election.