BILL NUMBER: SB 752 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE JANUARY 4, 2016
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 21, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Senator Nielsen
FEBRUARY 27, 2015
An act to amend Sections 146e, 148, 243, and 243.1
and 244.5 of the Penal Code, relating to crimes.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 752, as amended, Nielsen. Crimes.
Existing law makes it a crime to violate various provisions
prohibiting certain actions against a peace officer or his or her
family, other first responders, or public officials, including, but
not limited to, removing an officer's firearm while resisting
arrest and committing a battery against a peace officer or
other medical personnel engaged in the performance of his or her
duties. arrest, maliciously disclosing specified
personal information about the officer with the intent to obstruct
justice or the due administration of the laws, and using a stun gun
against a peace officer or firefighter. Existing law generally
makes the violation of these provisions misdemeanors or felonies
punishable in a county jail, as specified, or both a misdemeanor or a
felony, commonly referred to as a wobbler.
This bill would revise these provisions to make all of the
misdemeanors or instead punishable as
wobblers, the wobblers instead punishable as felonies in county
jail jail, as specified, and make all
of the felonies punishable in county jail instead punishable in state
prison, as specified.
By increasing the punishment for a 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.
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 146e of the Penal Code is amended to read:
146e. (a) Every person who maliciously, and with the intent to
obstruct justice or the due administration of the laws, or with the
intent or threat to inflict imminent physical harm in retaliation for
the due administration of the laws, publishes, disseminates, or
otherwise discloses the residence address or telephone number of any
peace officer, nonsworn police dispatcher, employee of a city police
department or county sheriff's office, or public safety official, or
that of the spouse or children of these persons who reside with them,
while designating the peace officer, nonsworn police dispatcher,
employee of a city police department or county sheriff's office, or
public safety official, or relative of these persons as such, without
the authorization of the employing agency, shall be punished by
imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year or
pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.
(b) A violation of subdivision (a) with regard to any peace
officer, employee of a city police department or county sheriff's
office, or public safety official, or the spouse or children of these
persons, that results in bodily injury to the peace officer,
employee of the city police department or county sheriff's office, or
public safety official, or the spouse or children of these persons,
is a felony punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of
Section 1170.
(c) For purposes of this section, "public safety official" is
defined in Section 6254.24 of the Government Code.
SEC. 2. Section 148 of the Penal Code is amended to read:
148. (a) (1) Every person who willfully resists, delays, or
obstructs any public officer, peace officer, or an emergency medical
technician, as defined in Division 2.5 (commencing with Section 1797)
of the Health and Safety Code, in the discharge or attempt to
discharge any duty of his or her office or employment, when no other
punishment is prescribed, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding
one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail
not to exceed one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(2) Except as provided by subdivision (d) of Section 653t, every
person who knowingly and maliciously interrupts, disrupts, impedes,
or otherwise interferes with the transmission of a communication over
a public safety radio frequency shall be punished by a fine not
exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), imprisonment in a county
jail not exceeding one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(b) Every person who, during the commission of any offense
described in subdivision (a), removes or takes any weapon, other than
a firearm, from the person of, or immediate presence of, a public
officer or peace officer shall be punished by imprisonment pursuant
to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.
(c) Every person who, during the commission of any offense
described in subdivision (a), removes or takes a firearm from the
person of, or immediate presence of, a public officer or peace
officer shall be punished is guilty of a
felony punishable by imprisonment in state prison.
(d) Except as provided in subdivision (c) and notwithstanding
subdivision (a) of Section 489, every person who removes or takes
without intent to permanently deprive, or who attempts to remove or
take a firearm from the person of, or immediate presence of, a public
officer or peace officer, while the officer is engaged in the
performance of his or her lawful duties, shall be punished by
imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year or
pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.
In order to prove a violation of this subdivision, the prosecution
shall establish that the defendant had the specific intent to remove
or take the firearm by demonstrating that any of the following
direct, but ineffectual, acts occurred:
(1) The officer's holster strap was unfastened by the defendant.
(2) The firearm was partially removed from the officer's holster
by the defendant.
(3) The firearm safety was released by the defendant.
(4) An independent witness corroborates that the defendant stated
that he or she intended to remove the firearm and the defendant
actually touched the firearm.
(5) An independent witness corroborates that the defendant
actually had his or her hand on the firearm and tried to take the
firearm away from the officer who was holding it.
(6) The defendant's fingerprint was found on the firearm or
holster.
(7) Physical evidence authenticated by a scientifically verifiable
procedure established that the defendant touched the firearm.
(8) In the course of any struggle, the officer's firearm fell and
the defendant attempted to pick it up.
(e) A person shall not be convicted of a violation of subdivision
(a) in addition to a conviction of a violation of subdivision (b),
(c), or (d) when the resistance, delay, or obstruction, and the
removal or taking of the weapon or firearm or attempt thereof, was
committed against the same public officer, peace officer, or
emergency medical technician. A person may be convicted of multiple
violations of this section if more than one public officer, peace
officer, or emergency medical technician are victims.
(f) This section shall not apply if the public officer, peace
officer, or emergency medical technician is disarmed while engaged in
a criminal act.
SEC. 3. Section 243 of the Penal Code is
amended to read:
243. (a) A battery is punishable by a fine not exceeding two
thousand dollars ($2,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail not
exceeding six months, or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(b) When a battery is committed against the person of a peace
officer, custodial officer, firefighter, emergency medical
technician, lifeguard, security officer, custody assistant, process
server, traffic officer, code enforcement officer, animal control
officer, or search and rescue member engaged in the performance of
his or her duties, whether on or off duty, including when the peace
officer is in a police uniform and is concurrently performing the
duties required of him or her as a peace officer while also employed
in a private capacity as a part-time or casual private security guard
or patrolman, or a nonsworn employee of a probation department
engaged in the performance of his or her duties, whether on or off
duty, or a physician or nurse engaged in rendering emergency medical
care outside a hospital, clinic, or other health care facility, and
the person committing the offense knows or reasonably should know
that the victim is a peace officer, custodial officer, firefighter,
emergency medical technician, lifeguard, security officer, custody
assistant, process server, traffic officer, code enforcement officer,
animal control officer, or search and rescue member engaged in the
performance of his or her duties, nonsworn employee of a probation
department, or a physician or nurse engaged in rendering emergency
medical care, the battery is punishable by a fine not exceeding two
thousand dollars ($2,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail not
exceeding one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(c) (1) When a battery is committed against a custodial officer,
firefighter, emergency medical technician, lifeguard, process server,
traffic officer, or animal control officer engaged in the
performance of his or her duties, whether on or off duty, or a
nonsworn employee of a probation department engaged in the
performance of his or her duties, whether on or off duty, or a
physician or nurse engaged in rendering emergency medical care
outside a hospital, clinic, or other health care facility, and the
person committing the offense knows or reasonably should know that
the victim is a nonsworn employee of a probation department,
custodial officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician,
lifeguard, process server, traffic officer, or animal control officer
engaged in the performance of his or her duties, or a physician or
nurse engaged in rendering emergency medical care, and an injury is
inflicted on that victim, the battery is punishable by imprisonment
pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for 16 months, or two or
three years.
(2) When the battery specified in paragraph (1) is committed
against a peace officer engaged in the performance of his or her
duties, whether on or off duty, including when the peace officer is
in a police uniform and is concurrently performing the duties
required of him or her as a peace officer while also employed in a
private capacity as a part-time or casual private security guard or
patrolman and the person committing the offense knows or reasonably
should know that the victim is a peace officer engaged in the
performance of his or her duties, the battery is punishable by a fine
of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by imprisonment
pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for 16 months, or two or
three years, or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(d) When a battery is committed against any person and serious
bodily injury is inflicted on the person, the battery is punishable
by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year or
imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for two,
three, or four years.
(e) (1) When a battery is committed against a spouse, a person
with whom the defendant is cohabiting, a person who is the parent of
the defendant's child, former spouse, fianc�, or fianc�e, or a person
with whom the defendant currently has, or has previously had, a
dating or engagement relationship, the battery is punishable by a
fine not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2,000), or by imprisonment
in a county jail for a period of not more than one year, or by both
that fine and imprisonment. If probation is granted, or the execution
or imposition of the sentence is suspended, it shall be a condition
thereof that the defendant participate in, for no less than one year,
and successfully complete, a batterer's treatment program, as
described in Section 1203.097, or if none is available, another
appropriate counseling program designated by the court. However, this
provision shall not be construed as requiring a city, a county, or a
city and county to provide a new program or higher level of service
as contemplated by Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
Constitution.
(2) Upon conviction of a violation of this subdivision, if
probation is granted, the conditions of probation may include, in
lieu of a fine, one or both of the following requirements:
(A) That the defendant make payments to a battered women's
shelter, up to a maximum of five thousand dollars ($5,000).
(B) That the defendant reimburse the victim for reasonable costs
of counseling and other reasonable expenses that the court finds are
the direct result of the defendant's offense.
For any order to pay a fine, make payments to a battered women's
shelter, or pay restitution as a condition of probation under this
subdivision, the court shall make a determination of the defendant's
ability to pay. In no event shall any order to make payments to a
battered women's shelter be made if it would impair the ability of
the defendant to pay direct restitution to the victim or
court-ordered child support. If the injury to a married person is
caused in whole or in part by the criminal acts of his or her spouse
in violation of this section, the community property shall not be
used to discharge the liability of the offending spouse for
restitution to the injured spouse, required by Section 1203.04, as
operative on or before August 2, 1995, or Section 1202.4, or to a
shelter for costs with regard to the injured spouse and dependents,
required by this section, until all separate property of the
offending spouse is exhausted.
(3) Upon conviction of a violation of this subdivision, if
probation is granted or the execution or imposition of the sentence
is suspended and the person has been previously convicted of a
violation of this subdivision and sentenced under paragraph (1), the
person shall be imprisoned for not less than 48 hours in addition to
the conditions in paragraph (1). However, the court, upon a showing
of good cause, may elect not to impose the mandatory minimum
imprisonment as required by this subdivision and may, under these
circumstances, grant probation or order the suspension of the
execution or imposition of the sentence.
(4) The Legislature finds and declares that these specified crimes
merit special consideration when imposing a sentence so as to
display society's condemnation for these crimes of violence upon
victims with whom a close relationship has been formed.
(5) If a peace officer makes an arrest for a violation of
paragraph (1) of subdivision (e) of this section, the peace officer
is not required to inform the victim of his or her right to make a
citizen's arrest pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 836.
(f) As used in this section:
(1) "Peace officer" means any person defined in Chapter 4.5
(commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2.
(2) "Emergency medical technician" means a person who is either an
EMT-I, EMT-II, or EMT-P (paramedic), and possesses a valid
certificate or license in accordance with the standards of Division
2.5 (commencing with Section 1797) of the Health and Safety Code.
(3) "Nurse" means a person who meets the standards of Division 2.5
(commencing with Section 1797) of the Health and Safety Code.
(4) "Serious bodily injury" means a serious impairment of physical
condition, including, but not limited to, the following: loss of
consciousness; concussion; bone fracture; protracted loss or
impairment of function of any bodily member or organ; a wound
requiring extensive suturing; and serious disfigurement.
(5) "Injury" means any physical injury which requires professional
medical treatment.
(6) "Custodial officer" means any person who has the
responsibilities and duties described in Section 831 and who is
employed by a law enforcement agency of any city or county or who
performs those duties as a volunteer.
(7) "Lifeguard" means a person defined in paragraph (5) of
subdivision (d) of Section 241.
(8) "Traffic officer" means any person employed by a city, county,
or city and county to monitor and enforce state laws and local
ordinances relating to parking and the operation of vehicles.
(9) "Animal control officer" means any person employed by a city,
county, or city and county for purposes of enforcing animal control
laws or regulations.
(10) "Dating relationship" means frequent, intimate associations
primarily characterized by the expectation of affectional or sexual
involvement independent of financial considerations.
(11) (A) "Code enforcement officer" means any person who is not
described in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of
Part 2 and who is employed by any governmental subdivision, public or
quasi-public corporation, public agency, public service corporation,
any town, city, county, or municipal corporation, whether
incorporated or chartered, who has enforcement authority for health,
safety, and welfare requirements, and whose duties include
enforcement of any statute, rules, regulations, or standards, and who
is authorized to issue citations, or file formal complaints.
(B) "Code enforcement officer" also includes any person who is
employed by the Department of Housing and Community Development who
has enforcement authority for health, safety, and welfare
requirements pursuant to the Employee Housing Act (Part 1 (commencing
with Section 17000) of Division 13 of the Health and Safety Code);
the State Housing Law (Part 1.5 (commencing with Section 17910) of
Division 13 of the Health and Safety Code); the Manufactured Housing
Act of 1980 (Part 2 (commencing with Section 18000) of Division 13 of
the Health and Safety Code); the Mobilehome Parks Act (Part 2.1
(commencing with Section 18200) of Division 13 of the Health and
Safety Code); and the Special Occupancy Parks Act (Part 2.3
(commencing with Section 18860) of Division 13 of the Health and
Safety Code).
(12) "Custody assistant" means any person who has the
responsibilities and duties described in Section 831.7 and who is
employed by a law enforcement agency of any city, county, or city and
county.
(13) "Search and rescue member" means any person who is part of an
organized search and rescue team managed by a government agency.
(14) "Security officer" means any person who has the
responsibilities and duties described in Section 831.4 and who is
employed by a law enforcement agency of any city, county, or city and
county.
(g) It is the intent of the Legislature by amendments to this
section at the 1981-82 and 1983-84 Regular Sessions to abrogate the
holdings in cases such as People v. Corey, 21 Cal. 3d 738, and
Cervantez v. J.C. Penney Co., 24 Cal. 3d 579, and to reinstate prior
judicial interpretations of this section as they relate to criminal
sanctions for battery on peace officers who are employed, on a
part-time or casual basis, while wearing a police uniform as private
security guards or patrolmen and to allow the exercise of peace
officer powers concurrently with that employment.
SEC. 4. Section 243.1 of the Penal Code is
amended to read:
243.1. When a battery is committed against the person of a
custodial officer as defined in Section 831 of the Penal Code, and
the person committing the offense knows or reasonably should know
that the victim is a custodial officer engaged in the performance of
his or her duties, and the custodial officer is engaged in the
performance of his or her duties, the offense shall be punished by
imprisonment in state prison.
SEC. 3. Section 244.5 of the Penal Code
is amended to read:
244.5. (a) As used in this section, "stun gun" means any item,
except a less lethal weapon, as defined in Section 16780, used or
intended to be used as either an offensive or defensive weapon that
is capable of temporarily immobilizing a person by the infliction of
an electrical charge.
(b) Every person who commits an assault upon the person of another
with a stun gun or less lethal weapon, as defined in Section 16780,
shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for a term not
exceeding one year, or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of
Section 1170 for 16 months, two, or three years.
(c) Every person who commits an assault upon the person of a peace
officer or firefighter with a stun gun or less lethal weapon, as
defined in Section 16780, who knows or reasonably should know that
the person is a peace officer or firefighter engaged in the
performance of his or her duties, when the peace officer or
firefighter is engaged in the performance of his or her duties, shall
be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for a term
not exceeding one year, or by imprisonment pursuant to
subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for two, three, or four years.
(d) This section shall not be construed to preclude or in any way
limit the applicability of Section 245 in any criminal prosecution.
SEC. 5. SEC. 4. 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.