Amended in Assembly April 13, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 28, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2088

Introduced by Assembly Member Linder

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Chang, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Hadley, Kim, begin insert Maienschein, end insert and Waldron)

February 17, 2016

An act to add Section 13200.3 to the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2088, as amended, Linder. Vehicles: hit-and-run accidents: pleas.

Existing law requires the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident involving either injury to a person other than the driver, or the death of a person, to immediately stop and fulfill specified reporting requirements. Existing law provides that failure to fulfill those requirements is a crime. Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to immediately revoke the driving privileges of a person convicted of a violation of that provision.

Existing law requires the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident involving only damage to property, or a person who parks a vehicle that becomes a runaway vehicle and damages property, to stop, as applicable, and fulfill specified reporting requirements. Existing law provides that failure to fulfill those requirements is a crime. Existing law authorizes a court to suspend the driving privileges of a person convicted of a violation of that provision for not more than 6 months.

This bill would require a prosecutor who agrees to accept a plea of guilty or nolo contendere from a defendant for a charge of a violation of the latter provision described above in satisfaction of or as a substitute for a charge for a violation of the former provision to state on the record whether the defendant was involved in an accident in which a person was injured. begin insert The bill would require the prosecutor’s statement to occur prior to the defendant’s waiver of the right to a jury trial. The bill would also require the judge to inform the defendant of the consequences described below prior to accepting the defendant’s plea of guilty or nolo contendere under these circumstances. end insert If the court accepts the plea and the prosecutor’s statement begin delete states that a person was injured in connection with the accident, end delete begin insert stipulates or does not contest the fact that the defendant was driving the vehicle that caused injury to another individual, end insert the bill would require the court to immediately suspend the convicted person’s driving privileges for a period of 6 months or order the convicted person to complete community service, as the court deems appropriate. By changing the penalty for a crime, the 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.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 13200.3 is added to the Vehicle Code,
to read:

13200.3.  

(a) If the prosecution agrees to a plea of guilty or
nolo contendere to a charge of a violation of Section 20002 in
satisfaction of, or as a substitute for, an original charge of a
violation of Section 20001, the prosecution shall state for the record
the factual basis for the satisfaction or substitution, including
whether the defendant was involved in an accident in which a
person was injured. begin delete end delete begin insert The prosecution’s statement shall occur prior
to the defendant’s waiver of the right to a jury trial. The judge
shall inform the defendant of the consequences specified in
subdivision (b) prior to accepting the defendant’s plea of guilty
or nolo contendere under these circumstances. end insert

(b) If the court accepts the defendant’s plea of guilty or nolo
contendere to a charge of a violation of Section 20002, and the
prosecutor’s statement provided pursuant to subdivision (a) begin delete states
that the driver of the vehicle was involved in an accident in which
a person was injured, end delete begin insert stipulates or does not contest the fact that
the defendant was driving the vehicle that caused injury to another
individual, end insert the court shall immediately suspend the convicted
driver’s privilege to operate a motor vehicle for a period of six
months or require the convicted driver to complete community
begin delete service end delete begin insert service, end insert as the court deems appropriate.

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.