BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 157
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 17, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                    AB 157 (Campos) - As Amended:  April 8, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                              JudiciaryVote:9-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          Yes    Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill adds false impersonation to the list of activities for  
          which the court may issue a protective order under the Domestic  
          Violence Protection Act.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor absorbable costs for the Judicial Council to amend a form  
          and revise a rule of court.

           COMMENTS  

           Purpose  . Current law allows a court to issue a domestic violence  
          protective order enjoining a party from molesting, attacking,  
          striking, stalking, threatening, sexually assaulting, battering,  
          harassing, and other specified behaviors. The growth of social  
          media and online communications, while providing great benefits  
          to society, has also provided a new avenue for domestic abuse.  
          Batterers can, with relative ease, impersonate their victims in  
          an effort to further abuse them. AB 157, therefore, adds false  
          impersonation to the list of activities that may be enjoined  
          under a protective order.

          The first case prosecuted under California's cyberstalking law  
          provides a chilling example of the harm that can be done through  
          false impersonation and the need for protection against this  
          type of abuse. According the U.S. Attorney General's account of  
          the crime, the batterer impersonated a woman who had rejected  
          his romantic advances and posted on Internet bulletin boards and  
          chat rooms that she fantasized about being raped. He also posted  
          her address and phone number. According to the account, men  
          knocked on the woman's door at least six times saying they  








                                                                  AB 157
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          wanted to rape her. This batterer was convicted of his crime,  
          but AB 157 is intended to better protect victims by preventing  
          this type of domestic abuse before it occurs.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081