BILL ANALYSIS
Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
AB1989 (Dickerson)
Hearing Date:8/7/00 Amended:5/26/00
Consultant: Lisa Matocq Policy Vote:Pub Saf 4-1
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BILL SUMMARY:
AB 1989 expands the scope of an existing wobbler, ownership
or possession of a firearm by any person who has a
specified misdemeanor conviction, by adding two misdemeanor
convictions: (1) dissuading a witness, and (2) making a
credible threat against another person.
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2000-01 2001-02
2002-03 Fund
Incarceration Unknown increased costs
General
Unknown increased mandated, nonreim-
Local
bursable costs for county jail and
probation
STAFF COMMENTS: This bill may meet the criteria to be
placed on the Suspense File.
Both of the crimes that this bill proposes to add:
dissuading a witness, and making a credible threat, are
wobblers. In 1998-99, there were 59 prison admissions for
felony convictions of dissuading a witness, and 551 for
making a credible threat; it is unknown how many
misdemeanor convictions there were for these offenses.
Under current law, a convicted felon may not possess a
firearm for life.
Current law provides that a violation of the firearms ban
is punishable by 16 months, 2, or 3 years in state prison,
or up to one year in county jail, a fine not exceeding
$1,000, or both. There were 34 prison admissions in
1998-99 for this offense. It would take only eight prison
admissions to exceed annual incarceration costs of
$150,000.