BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SB 838
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   June 17, 2014
          Counsel:        Stella Choe


                         ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY
                                 Tom Ammiano, Chair

                      SB 838 (Beall) - As Amended:  May 27, 2014


           SUMMARY  :   Establishes a minimum mandatory term of commitment of  
          two years and reduces confidentiality protections for juveniles  
          who have committed or who are alleged to have committed  
          specified sex crimes involving an unconscious or disabled  
          victim, as specified.  Specifically,  this bill  :   

          1)Creates a one-year sentence enhancement, a fine of up to  
            $10,000, or both the additional imprisonment and fine, for any  
            person who is convicted of a felony sex offense requiring the  
            person to register as a sex offender, and who, with the intent  
            to intimidate, harass, humiliate, or bully the victim, uses  
            social media, including, but not limited to, posting photos  
            online or sharing cellular telephone photos of the incident  
            that resulted in the conviction, or posting messages online or  
            sharing cellular telephone messages pertaining to the incident  
            that resulted in the conviction.

          2)Specifies an additional fine of up to $5,000 for any person  
            who is convicted of a misdemeanor sex offense requiring the  
            person to register as a sex offender, and who, with the intent  
            to intimidate, harass, humiliate, or bully the victim, uses  
            social media, including, but not limited to, posting photos  
            online or sharing cellular telephone photos of the incident  
            that resulted in the conviction, or posting messages online or  
            sharing cellular telephone messages pertaining to the incident  
            that resulted in the conviction.

          3)Adds to the list of felonies, to which the public may be  
            admitted for the juvenile court proceedings, certain sex  
            offenses accomplished because the person is prevented from  
            resisting due to being rendered unconscious by any  
            intoxicating, anesthetizing, or controlled substance, or when  
            the victim is at the time incapable, because of a disability,  
            of giving consent, and this is known or reasonably should be  
            known to the person committing the offense.








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          4)Requires the court, when a minor is adjudged a ward of the  
            court for the commission of certain sex offenses accomplished  
            because the person is prevented from resisting due to being  
            rendered unconscious by any intoxicating, anesthetizing, or  
            controlled substance, or when the victim is at the time  
            incapable, because of a disability, of giving consent, and  
            this is known or reasonably should be known to the person  
            committing the offense, to order the minor to out-of-home  
            placement for a minimum of two years.

          5)Specifies that the placement may include commitment of the  
            minor to a juvenile hall, juvenile home, ranch, camp, or any  
            institution operated by the county juvenile probation  
            department, where the minor would receive treatment  
            appropriate to the circumstances of his or her offense,  
            including, but not limited to, sex offender treatment.

          6)Prohibits eligibility for deferred entry of judgment (DEJ) for  
            minors charged with specified sex offenses where the victim  
            was prevented from resisting due to being rendered unconscious  
            by any intoxicating, anesthetizing, or controlled substance,  
            or when the victim was at the time incapable, because of  
            mental disorder or developmental or physical disability, of  
            giving consent, and that was known or reasonably should have  
            been known to the minor at the time of the offense.

          7)States that this bill shall be known, and may be cited as,  
            Audrie's Law.

           EXISTING LAW  :

          1)Provides that unless requested by the minor concerning whom  
            the petition has been filed and any parent or guardian  
            present, the public shall not be admitted to a juvenile court  
            hearing, except as specified.  (Welf. & Inst. Code, � 676,  
            subd. (a).)

          2)States, however, that members of the public shall be admitted,  
            on the same basis as they may be admitted to trials in a court  
            of criminal jurisdiction, to juvenile proceedings alleging  
            that a minor committed one of the enumerated offenses.  (Welf.  
            & Inst. Code, � 676, subd. (a).)

          3)Specifies that the name of a minor found to have committed one  








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            of the enumerated offenses shall not be confidential, unless  
            the court, for good cause, so orders. "Good cause" is limited  
            to protecting the personal safety of the minor, a victim, or a  
            member of the public.  The court shall make a written finding,  
            on the record, explaining why good cause exists to make the  
            name of the minor confidential.  (Welf. & Inst. Code, � 676,  
            subd. (c).)

          4)Authorizes a court, when a minor is adjudged a ward of the  
            court, to order any of the types of treatment referred to in  
            related provisions of law, and as an additional alternative,  
            may commit the minor to a juvenile home, ranch, camp, or  
            forestry camp.  If there is no county juvenile home, ranch,  
            camp, or forestry camp within the county, the court may commit  
            the minor to the county juvenile hall.  (Welf. & Inst. Code, �  
            730, subd. (a).)

          5)States when a ward is placed under the supervision of the  
            probation officer or committed to the care, custody, and  
            control of the probation officer, the court may make any and  
            all reasonable orders for the conduct of the ward.  The court  
            may impose and require any and all reasonable conditions that  
            it may determine fitting and proper to the end that justice  
            may be done and the reformation and rehabilitation of the ward  
            enhanced.  (Welf. & Inst. Code, � 730, subd. (b).)

          6)Requires the prosecuting attorney to review his or her file to  
            determine whether a minor is eligible for DEJ by considering  
            the following circumstances  (Welf. & Inst. Code, � 790):

             a)   The minor has not previously been declared to be a ward  
               of the court for the commission of a felony offense;

             b)   The offense charged is not one of the offenses  
               enumerated in 707(b);

             c)   The minor has not previously been committed to the  
               custody of the Youth Authority;

             d)   The minor's record does not indicate that probation has  
               ever been revoked without being completed;

             e)   The minor is at least 14 years of age at the time of the  
               hearing; and,









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             f)   The minor is eligible for probation.

          7)States that every person who knowingly sends, brings into this  
            state for sale or distribution, possesses, prepares,  
            publishes, produces, develops, duplicates, or prints any  
            representation of information, data, or image, with intent to  
            distribute or to exhibit to, or to exchange with, others, or  
            who offers to distribute, distributes, or exhibits to, or  
            exchanges with, others, any obscene matter, knowing that the  
            matter depicts a person under the age of 18 years personally  
            engaging in or personally simulating sexual conduct, as  
            defined in Section 311.4, shall be punished either by  
            imprisonment in the county jail for up to one year, by a fine  
            not to exceed $1,000, or by both the fine and imprisonment, or  
            by imprisonment in the state prison, by a fine not to exceed  
            $10,000, or by the fine and imprisonment.  (Pen. Code, �  
            311.1, subd. (a).)

          8)Defines "sexual conduct" as any of the following, whether  
            actual or simulated:  sexual intercourse, oral copulation,  
            anal intercourse, anal oral copulation, masturbation,  
            bestiality, sexual sadism, sexual masochism, penetration of  
            the vagina or rectum by any object in a lewd or lascivious  
            manner, exhibition of the genitals or pubic or rectal area for  
            the purpose of sexual stimulation of the viewer, any lewd or  
            lascivious sexual act as defined, or excretory functions  
            performed in a lewd or lascivious manner, whether or not any  
            of the above conduct is performed alone or between members of  
            the same or opposite sex or between humans and animals.  An  
            act is simulated when it gives the appearance of being sexual  
            conduct.  (Pen. Code, � 311.4, subd. (d).)

          9)Provides that every person who, with intent to place another  
            person in reasonable fear for his or her safety, or the safety  
            of the other person's immediate family, by means of an  
            electronic communication device, and without consent of the  
            other person, and for the purpose of imminently causing that  
            other person unwanted physical contact, injury, or harassment,  
            by a third party, electronically distributes, publishes,  
            e-mails, hyperlinks, or makes available for downloading,  
            personal identifying information, including, but not limited  
            to, a digital image of another person, or an electronic  
            message of a harassing nature about another person, which  
            would be likely to incite or produce that unlawful action, is  
            guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in a  








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            county jail, by a fine of not more than $1,000, or by both  
            that fine and imprisonment.  (Pen. Code, � 653.2, subd. (a).)

          10)States, except as provided, that rape, as defined, is  
            punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for three, six  
            or eight years.  (Pen. Code, � 264, subd. (a).)

          11)Makes it punishable by imprisonment in state prison for a  
            period of three, six, or eight years for any person who  
            commits an act of sexual penetration when the victim is  
            prevented from resisting by any intoxicating or anesthetic  
            substance, or any controlled substance, and this condition was  
            known, or reasonably should have been known by the accused.  
            (Pen. Code, � 289, subd. (e).)

           FISCAL EFFECT  :   Unknown

           COMMENTS  :   

           1)Author's Statement :  According to the author, "Senate Bill 838  
            is the direct result of the tragic death of Audrie Pott, a  
            15-year-old Saratoga High student who committed suicide after  
            she was sexually assaulted while unconscious and photos of her  
            were disseminated electronically.  Her assailants were tried  
            as juveniles.  The allegations against them were sustained and  
            they handed down sentences of 30 to 45 days, news reports  
            said.   Despite the severity of their crimes, they are freed  
            from having to register sex offenders due to an omission in  
            the law. 

            "Current California law provides a list of offenses for which  
            specified juvenile offenders may be prosecuted in adult court  
            under certain circumstances.  This list -- California Welfare  
            and Institutions Code section 707(b) -- includes forced rape,  
            sodomy and oral copulation, but does not include sex offenses  
            where the victim was prevented from resisting because of  
            intoxication, use of a controlled substance, or because of a  
            developmental disability. 

            "It is unreasonable and arbitrary to solely define forcible  
            rape on whether a victim was able to offer resistance or  
            whether they were rendered incapable of resisting because of  
            unconsciousness or a developmental disability.  Juvenile  
            victims of sex crime need to be protected equally, just the  
            same as adult victims, regardless of why they were vulnerable  








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            to a horrible assault.  Rape is rape.

            "In general, juvenile court hearings are not open to the  
            public.  However, W&I code section 676(a) specifies a list of  
            offenses that would cause juvenile court proceedings on the  
            matter to be open to the public.  Much like section 707(b),  
            676(a) includes forcible rape, sodomy and oral copulation.   
            Again, this causes a loophole in the law that differentiates  
            between victims based upon whether or not they were able to  
            resist.  This is an unequal standard that treats the sexual  
            assault of someone that is unconscious or developmentally  
            disabled as a lesser crime.

            "Audrie's Law would remedy these issues by creating stiffer  
            penalties for juveniles who sexually assault a developmentally  
            disabled or unconscious victim.  Specifically, SB 838 would  
            impose a mandatory two year out-of-home placement sentence and  
            open court proceedings to the public for any juvenile who was  
            convicted of said crime.  This would eliminate the inequity in  
            the law that differentiates between forcible v. non-forcible  
            sexual assault, while keeping juveniles out of the adult court  
            system. 

            "Audrie's case, along with those of other young women across  
            the nation, has shed light on a troubling pattern of social  
            media being used to further traumatize victims of sexual  
            assault. Neither W&I code nor the Penal code include an  
            offense where the victim of any sexual abuse or assault is  
            further traumatized by an offender through "cyber-bullying."

            "Photos of and messages about victims of these crimes have  
            been posted on the Internet or shared through cell phone  
            photos to intimidate, harass, humiliate, and bully victims.   
            The use of online photos, messaging, or other social media  
            increases the terrible power of the crime's cruelty.  The  
            nature of the crimes against Audrie, coupled with the growing  
            use of social media to bully victims, demands that our  
            statutes and codes be amended to reflect the severity of these  
            offenses.

            "SB 838:  Audrie's Law is a modest proposal that provides  
            equal justice for all types sexual offenses and updates our  
            laws to reflect the use of social media in conjunction with  
            sexual assault in the 21st century."









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           2)Impetus for this Bill  :  This bill is titled "Audrie's Law."  
            15-year-old Audrie Pott committed suicide last fall.  As  
            reported by the press, on September 2, 2012, Audrie attended a  
            house party where she and some other teenagers drank  
            Vodka-spiked Gatorade.  Audrie drank too much and passed out  
            in a bedroom.  She woke to find her shorts stripped down and  
            arrows and circles and lewd comments scribbled in Sharpie pens  
            over her body.  Audrie later learned that three boys at the  
            party took photos of her half-naked body.  It was alleged that  
            these photos went viral, but according to the article there  
            was not enough evidence to prove that the boys circulated the  
            photos widely.  On September 10, 2012, eight days after the  
            assault, Audrie hanged herself in her mother's bathroom where  
            her mother found her barely alive. Audrie died two days later.  
             (See  
             (as of June  
            10, 2014).)

          Because the boys were adjudicated in juvenile court, the  
            proceedings were closed to the public and there is no access  
            to court transcripts.  Additionally, neither the attorney  
            representing Audrie's parents in the civil law suit or the  
            deputy district attorney who prosecuted the case could comment  
            on the specifics of the juvenile proceedings.  According to  
            the news article cited above, "sources close to the case" said  
            that the boys admitted to several felonies which included  
            digital penetration and possession or control of photos of  
            Audrie, and that two of the boys were ordered to serve 30 days  
            in juvenile detention and the third boy was ordered to serve  
            45 days.  Because it is unclear what the facts and  
            circumstances of this individual case were, it is speculative  
            as to whether the provisions of this bill would have had any  
            impact on the outcome of the case.  
           
           3)Confidentiality of Juvenile Proceedings  :  Proceedings in the  
            juvenile court generally are closed to the public, except for  
            serious offenses that, with certain exceptions, require  
            admission of the public to hearings on the same basis as in  
            criminal trials.  Still, the public must be excluded where the  
            petition alleges that the minor committed one or more  
            specified sex offenses in two circumstances:  1) a closed  
            hearing, on motion by the district attorney, who must make the  
            motion at the victim's request; and, 2) a partially closed  
            hearing during the victim's testimony, if the victim was under  








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            age 16 at the time of the offense.  (Welf. & Inst. Code, �  
            676, subd. (b).)

            Historically, confidentiality has been a deliberate aspect of  
            juvenile proceedings: "Confidentiality of juvenile court  
            proceedings historically has been one of most critical aspects  
            of the juvenile justice system.  From the creation of the  
            first formal juvenile court in Chicago, Illinois in 1899,  
            confidentiality has been regarded as a necessary catalyst for  
            the successful rehabilitation of wayward youth.  The purpose  
            of keeping juvenile proceedings behind closed doors was to  
            minimize the criminal stigma that could follow a youth  
            throughout out his life, thus impeding his transformation into  
            a well-adjusted, productive member of society. 

            "The primary goal of the juvenile justice system, according to  
            its founders, was not to punish, but rather to 'protect,  
            rehabilitate, and heal' the youth, using the court system to  
            promote the best interests of the child, a concept known as  
            parens patriae.  The aim of the original juvenile justice  
            court was to encourage the youth into rehabilitation with the  
            caring involvement of the judge and community working  
            together, calling for the judge to 'put his arm around [the  
            juvenile's] shoulder' and effectively escort the juvenile back  
            into society." (Walker, Revealing Mississippi Youth Court: The  
            Consequences of Lifting Confidentiality Requirements on  
            Juvenile Justice in Mississippi (Spring 2002) 71 Miss. L.J.  
            999.)

            This bill expands the list of offenses requiring public  
            proceedings by adding sex crimes when a victim is prevented  
            from resisting due to being rendered unconscious by any  
            intoxicating, anesthetizing, or controlled substance, or when  
            the victim is at the time incapable, because of a disability,  
            of giving consent. 

           4)Minimum Mandatory Confinement  :  As stated above, the primary  
            goal of the juvenile justice system is to treat and  
            rehabilitate the youth.  "Juvenile courts and other public  
            agencies charged with enforcing, interpreting, and  
            administering the juvenile court law shall consider the safety  
            and protection of the public, the importance of redressing  
            injuries to victims, and the best interests of the minor in  
            all deliberations pursuant to this chapter."  (Welf. & Inst.  
            Code, � 202, subd. (d).) "Punishment" means the imposition of  








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            sanctions, not retribution. (Welf. & Inst. Code, � 202, subd.  
            (e).)

          Generally, a minor who has committed an offense or violated the  
            law will have his or her case adjudicated in juvenile court.   
            There are exceptions based on the nature of the offense or the  
            history of the minor which allows, or in some cases requires,  
            the case to be prosecuted in the adult court.  (Welf. & Inst.  
            Code, �� 602 and 707.)  If the case remains in juvenile court  
            and the minor has been adjudged a ward of the court, the court  
            make any reasonable orders for the care, supervision, custody,  
            conduct, maintenance, and support of the minor, or as an  
            additional alternative, commit the minor to a juvenile  
            detention facility.  (Welf. & Inst. Code, � 727.)  When a  
            minor is adjudicated in juvenile court, the proscribed  
            punishments in criminal statutes (specified terms of  
            imprisonment or fine, or both) do not apply.  Instead, the  
            juvenile court determines on a case-by-case basis what is  
            appropriate, based on the severity of the offense, impact on  
            the victim, and the circumstances of the minor's life.  Using  
            its discretion, the court may order a combination of  
            treatment, supervision, or commitment to a juvenile detention  
            facility.  The rationale for the difference in sanctions is  
            that minors are inherently different from adults in terms of  
            maturity and their ability to change.  Thus, the purpose of  
            juvenile court is treatment and rehabilitation so that the  
            minor may still become a productive member of society.

          This bill creates a minimum mandatory term of confinement of two  
            years for any juvenile who is adjudged a ward of the juvenile  
            court on the grounds that he or she committed a specified sex  
            offense when a victim is prevented from resisting due to being  
            rendered unconscious by any intoxicating, anesthetizing, or  
            controlled substance; or the victim was incapable of giving  
            consent because of a disability.  While minimum mandatory  
            terms are common in the Penal Code and may have a valid  
            punitive purpose for adult offenders, there exists no such  
            sentencing scheme in juvenile court.  The minimum mandatory  
            term proposed by this bill is unprecedented and opens the door  
            to requiring minimum mandatory terms for other offenses that  
            are currently adjudicated in juvenile court.  It also reduces  
            judicial discretion to determine the appropriate outcome of  
            each case.

           5)Sentence Enhancement and Additional Fine  :  This bill would  








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            create a new sentence enhancement, which in felony cases could  
            result in an additional year in prison for a person who is  
            convicted of a registerable felony sex offense and who used  
            social media, posted messages online, or shared cellular  
            telephone messages pertaining to the incident with the intent  
            to identify, intimidate, harass, humiliate, or bully the  
            victim.  This provision's purpose is to punish acts considered  
            "cyberbullying." 
                                                                         
          In order for the enhancement to apply, the person would have to  
            be convicted of a felony sex offense that requires him or her  
            to register as a sex offender.  The existing punishments for  
            felony sex offenses are very serious.  For example, sexual  
            penetration against a victim who is unable to resist because  
            they are unconscious or intoxicated is a felony, punishable by  
            three, six or eight years in state prison.  The same  
            punishment applies for the crimes of oral copulation or sodomy  
            of a person who is unable to resist because he or she is  
            unconscious or intoxicated.  

          Considering that the current punishment for felony sex offenses  
            are already quite lengthy, is there a need to add a one year  
            enhancement, especially in cases involving a juvenile  
            offender?

          This bill also contains a provision authorizing a fine of up to  
            $10,000 if a person is convicted of a registerable felony sex  
            offense, and an additional fine of up to $5,000 if a person is  
            convicted of a registerable misdemeanor sex offense.  On a  
            misdemeanor offense, the typical fine is up to $1,000. 

          When considering fines in general, it is important to note that  
            there are penalty assessments and fees assessed on the base  
            fine causing the total fine to increase to about four times  
            the amount of the base fine.  Assuming a defendant was fined  
            $10,000 as the maximum fine, the following penalty assessments  
            would be imposed pursuant to the Penal Code and the California  
            Government Code:

            Base Fine:                                                      
                                                                        $  
            10,000

            Penal Code 1464 assessment:                                     
                   $ 10,000  ($10 for every $10)








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            Penal Code 1465.7 surcharge:                                    
                                                                   2,000   
            (20% surcharge)
            Penal Code 1465.8 assessment:                                   
                            40  ($40 fee per offense)
            Government Code 70372 assessment:                               
                 5,000  ($5 for every $10)
            Government Code 70373 assessment:                               
                      30  ($30 for felony or misdo.)
            Government Code 76000 assessment:                               
                 7,000  ($7 for every $10)
            Government Code 76000.5 assessment:                             
                2,000  ($2 for every $10) 
            Government Code 76104.6 assessment:                             
                1,000  ($1 for every $10)
            Government Code 76104.7 assessment                              
                4,000  ($4 for every $10)

            Total Fine with Assessments:                                   
            $41,070  
             
           6)DEJ Ineligibility  :  DEJ is a form of diversion.  Generally, if  
            a defendant is granted DEJ, entry of judgment on the  
            defendant's guilty plea is deferred pending successful  
            completion of a program or other conditions.  If a defendant  
            placed in a DEJ program fails to complete the program or  
            comply with the conditions imposed by the court, criminal  
            proceedings resume and the defendant, having already pleaded  
            guilty, is sentenced.  


            In the juvenile justice setting, DEJ is available to minors  
            who are at least 14 years of age and alleged to have committed  
            a felony offense.  Additionally, the minor must have not been  
            previously declared a ward of the court for the commission of  
            a felony offense; the current offense charged must not be one  
            of the enumerated offenses in Welfare and Institutions Code  
            section 707(b); the minor must not have previously been  
            committed to the custody of the Division of Juvenile Justice;  
            the minor's record must not indicate that probation has ever  
            been revoked without being completed; and the minor must be  
            eligible for probation.  (Welf. & Inst. Code, � 790, subd.  
            (a).)

            The prosecuting attorney has to duty to determine whether the  








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            minor is eligible for DEJ and file a declaration with the  
            court or state on the record the grounds upon which the  
            determination was made.  The minor must admit to the charges  
            and the court must also find that the minor is suitable for  
            DEJ.  (Welf. & Inst. Code, � 790, subd. (b).) The court may  
            order terms and conditions that it deems appropriate during  
            the minor's participation in DEJ.  (Welf. & Inst. Code, �  
            794.)  If the minor successfully completes DEJ, the court will  
            dismiss the case.  Along with the dismissal, the court will  
            order the case sealed and the minor's arrest is deemed never  
            to have occurred.  (Welf. & Inst. Code, � 793, subd. (c).)  If  
            the minor fails to successfully complete DEJ, the minor's  
            participation in the DEJ program will be terminated and he or  
            she will be declared a ward of the court and judgment will  
            entered based on the prior admission. 

            This bill would add to the list of factors that would  
            disqualify a minor from DEJ. Specifically, this bill adds the  
            crimes of rape, sodomy, oral copulation or an act of sexual  
            penetration when the victim was prevented from resisting due  
            to being rendered unconscious by any intoxicating,  
            anesthetizing, or controlled substance, or when the victim was  
            at the time incapable, because of mental disorder or  
            developmental or physical disability, of giving consent, and  
            that was known or reasonably should have been known to the  
            minor at the time of the offense.  Under existing law, rape,  
            sodomy, oral copulation or an act of sexual penetration when  
            accomplished by use of force, violence, or threat of great  
            bodily injury are offenses listed in Welfare and Institutions  
            Code section 707(b), and ineligible for DEJ.  (Welf. & Inst.  
            Code, � 790, subd. (a)(2).)

           7)Arguments in Support  :  

             a)   According to the  Santa Clara District Attorney's Office  ,  
               the sponsor of this bill, "This bill would increase the  
               penalties for a juvenile that sexually assaults a person  
               who is in a defenseless state - unconscious or  
               developmentally disabled.  Additionally, Audrie's Law would  
               create a crime enhancement for any sexual assault in which  
               the offender disseminates media of the incident with the  
               intent to further harm their victim."

             b)   According to the  Association of Regional Center Agencies  
               (ARCA)  , "Sexual assault is, in and of itself, a heinous  








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               crime.  But when it is documented and made a weapon of  
               victim intimidation, no right-minded individual can be  
               anything but outraged.  This bill expresses society's just  
               outrage in the form of increased punishments for the  
               offender.

             "Minor offenders are currently shielded from public view  
               during court hearings.  But our system recognizes that  
               certain crimes, regardless of the offender being a  
               juvenile, are so serious that the proceedings must be open.  
                ARCA fully supports the bill's fix of the loophole that  
               unreasonably keeps these types of assaults against someone  
               incapable of giving consent (for various reasons) from  
               being appropriately prosecuted."

           8)Arguments in Opposition  :

              a)   Human Rights Watch  opposes SB 838.  "If passed into law,  
               California would make an unprecedented introduction of  
               mandatory minimum sentences to its juvenile justice system.  
                Mandatory minimum sentences directly undermine the most  
               fundamental purpose of juvenile justice:  the careful  
               consideration of a youth's individual rehabilitative needs.  
                Mandatory sentences fly in the face of research  
               demonstrating what works to turn around the lives of youth  
               who have committed serious crimes.  What this bill proposes  
               is a step backwards, away from the direction courts and  
               policymakers have been moving to create a more just and  
               effective system for youth who commit crimes."

              b)   Center for Juvenile and Criminal Justice  writes, "SB 838  
               would interfere with young people's ability to lead  
               productive lives.  Closed courtrooms and deferred entry of  
               judgment protect youth from unnecessary punishment and  
               stigmatization, and are critical components of a system  
               founded on the assumption that young people are amenable to  
               rehabilitation and have the potential to become law-abiding  
               adults.  Youth sex cases vary significantly in their  
               severity, and in some cases, justice is best served if the  
               youth can benefit from these protections." 

           9)Related Legislation  :

             a)   AB 1335 (Maienschein) makes specified sex crimes  
               committed against victims with mental disorders or physical  








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               or developmental disabilities qualifying crimes for the  
               "One Strike Sex Law" and the vulnerable victim enhancement.  
                AB 1335 is pending hearing in the Senate Appropriations  
               Committee.

             b)   SB 922 (Knight) provides that a sex crime against a  
               mentally disordered, developmentally disabled, or  
               physically disabled person by force, duress or threats  
               shall be punished by the same prison sentences that apply  
               to sex crimes accomplished by force, duress or threats  
               against a child under the age of 14.  SB 922 will be heard  
               by this Committee today.

             c)   SB 926 (Beall) extends the statute of limitations for  
               prosecuting sex crimes committed when a victim was under  
               the age of 18.  SB 926 is pending hearing by this  
               Committee.

             d)   SB 1255 (Canella) provides, among other things, that  
               distribution without consent of an image of an intimate  
               body part or sexual act of another identifiable person is a  
               misdemeanor.  SB 1255 is pending hearing by this Committee.  
              
           10)Previous Legislation  : 

             a)   SB 255 (Canella), Chapter 466, Statutes of 2013, created  
               a new misdemeanor for the distribution an image of an  
               identifiable person's intimate body parts which had been  
               taken with an understanding that the image would remain  
               private, commonly referred to as "revenge porn."

             b)   AB 321 (Hern�ndez), of the 2011-12 Legislative Session,  
               required additional penalties, including counseling and  
               community service, to be imposed on a minor adjudicated of  
               "sexting."  AB 321 was held on the Assembly Appropriations  
               Committee's Suspense File.

             c)   AB 919 (Houston), Chapter 584, Statutes of 2008,  
               provided that every person who uses an electronic  
               communication device to harass another through the actions  
               of a third party, as specified, is guilty of a misdemeanor.  


             d)   SB 1484 (Ackerman), Chapter 666, Statutes of 2004,  
               expanded the crime of disorderly conduct to include the use  








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               of a concealed instrumentality to secretly videotape  
               another fully or partially undressed person for the purpose  
               of viewing that person's body or undergarments without the  
               consent while that person is inside a bedroom, bathroom,  
               changing room, fitting room, dressing room, or tanning  
               booth, or in any other area in which that other person has  
               a reasonable expectation of privacy, with the intent to  
               invade that person's privacy.

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :

           Support 
           
          Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office (Sponsor)
            American Association of University Women - California
          Association of Regional Center Agencies
          California Police Chiefs Association
          California Protective Parents Association
          Counseling and Support Services for Youth
          Incest Survivors' Speakers Bureau of California
          The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy California Coalition

           Opposition 
           
          American Civil Liberties Union
          California Alliance for Youth and Community Justice
          California Attorneys for Criminal Justice
          California Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE)
          California Public Defenders Association
          Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice
          Chief Probation Officers of California
          Children's Defense Fund - California
          East Bay Children's Law Offices
          Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
          Fathers & Families of San Joaquin
          Friends Committee on Legislation of California
          Human Rights Watch
          National Compadres Network
          Pacific Juvenile Defender Center
          Jeff Adachi, San Francisco Public Defender
          W. Haywood Burns Institute
          Youth Justice Coalition
          Youth Law Center

          19 private individuals








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           Analysis Prepared by  :    Stella Choe / PUB. S. / (916) 319-3744