BILL NUMBER: AB 1771 INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Ma JANUARY 10, 2008 An act to amend Section 136.2 of, and to add Section 1463.24 to, and Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 13720) to Title 5 of Part 4 of, the Penal Code, relating to domestic violence. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1771, as introduced, Ma. Domestic violence: convictions. Existing law authorizes a court to issue a domestic violence restraining order upon a good cause belief that harm to a victim has occurred or is reasonably likely to occur. This bill would provide that "good cause" may be found based on evidence that the person against whom the order is to be issued has previously been convicted of a crime of domestic violence, as defined. Existing law provides for the imposition of various fines, forfeitures, and penalties upon a criminal conviction. This bill would authorize an additional assessment to be imposed upon a conviction for a crime of domestic violence, to be used to fund domestic violence prevention programs in the counties. This bill also would require the superior court of a county to provide to any person, upon request, without charge, any information regarding a domestic violence conviction that is currently available to the public. Because the bill would impose additional duties on local governmental agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Under existing law, the Department of Justice is responsible for compiling and maintaining criminal record information. This bill would require the Attorney General to develop an Internet Web site that is available to the public that contains certain information about persons who have been convicted of at least one felony domestic violence offense or at least two misdemeanor domestic violence offenses. The Attorney General would be required to update the Web site on a regular basis. This information would be required to be retained on the Web site for 10 years, as specified. 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions. 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 136.2 of the Penal Code is amended to read: 136.2. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (c), upon a good cause belief that harm to, or intimidation or dissuasion of, a victim or witness has occurred or is reasonably likely to occur, any court with jurisdiction over a criminal matter may issue orders including, but not limited to, the following: (1) Any order issued pursuant to Section 6320 of the Family Code. For purposes this paragraph, "good cause" may be found based on evidence that the person against whom the order is to be issued has previously been convicted of a crime of domestic violence, as defined in Section 13700. (2) An order that a defendant shall not violate any provision of Section 136.1. (3) An order that a person before the court other than a defendant, including, but not limited to, a subpoenaed witness or other person entering the courtroom of the court, shall not violate any provisions of Section 136.1. (4) An order that any person described in this section shall have no communication whatsoever with any specified witness or any victim, except through an attorney under any reasonable restrictions that the court may impose. (5) An order calling for a hearing to determine if an order as described in paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, should be issued. (6) An order that a particular law enforcement agency within the jurisdiction of the court provide protection for a victim or a witness, or both, or for immediate family members of a victim or a witness who reside in the same household as the victim or witness or within reasonable proximity of the victim's or witness' household, as determined by the court. The order shall not be made without the consent of the law enforcement agency except for limited and specified periods of time and upon an express finding by the court of a clear and present danger of harm to the victim or witness or immediate family members of the victim or witness. For purposes of this paragraph, "immediate family members" include the spouse, children, or parents of the victim or witness. (7) (A) Any order protecting victims of violent crime from all contact by the defendant, or contact, with the intent to annoy, harass, threaten, or commit acts of violence, by the defendant. The court or its designee shall transmit orders made under this paragraph to law enforcement personnel within one business day of the issuance, modification, extension, or termination of the order, pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 6380 of the Family Code. It is the responsibility of the court to transmit the modification, extension, or termination orders made under this paragraph to the same agency that entered the original protective order into the Domestic Violence Restraining Order System. (B) (i) If a court does not issue an order pursuant to subparagraph (A) in a case in which the defendant is charged with a crime of domestic violence as defined in Section 13700, the court on its own motion shall consider issuing a protective order upon a good cause belief that harm to, or intimidation or dissuasion of, a victim or witness has occurred or is reasonably likely to occur, that provides as follows: (I) The defendant shall not own, possess, purchase, receive, or attempt to purchase or receive, a firearm while the protective order is in effect. (II) The defendant shall relinquish any firearms that he or she owns or possesses pursuant to Section 527.9 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (ii) Every person who owns, possesses, purchases, or receives, or attempts to purchase or receive, a firearm while this protective order is in effect is punishable pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 12021. (C) Any order issued, modified, extended, or terminated by a court pursuant to this paragraph shall be issued on forms adopted by the Judicial Council of California and that have been approved by the Department of Justice pursuant to subdivision (i) of Section 6380 of the Family Code. However, the fact that an order issued by a court pursuant to this section was not issued on forms adopted by the Judicial Council and approved by the Department of Justice shall not, in and of itself, make the order unenforceable. (b) Any person violating any order made pursuant to paragraphs (1) to (7), inclusive, of subdivision (a) may be punished for any substantive offense described in Section 136.1, or for a contempt of the court making the order. A finding of contempt shall not be a bar to prosecution for a violation of Section 136.1. However, any person so held in contempt shall be entitled to credit for any punishment imposed therein against any sentence imposed upon conviction of an offense described in Section 136.1. Any conviction or acquittal for any substantive offense under Section 136.1 shall be a bar to a subsequent punishment for contempt arising out of the same act. (c) (1) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (e), an emergency protective order issued pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 6250) of Part 3 of Division 10 of the Family Code or Section 646.91 of the Penal Code shall have precedence in enforcement over any other restraining or protective order, provided the emergency protective order meets all of the following requirements: (A) The emergency protective order is issued to protect one or more individuals who are already protected persons under another restraining or protective order. (B) The emergency protective order restrains the individual who is the restrained person in the other restraining or protective order specified in subparagraph (A). (C) The provisions of the emergency protective order are more restrictive in relation to the restrained person than are the provisions of the other restraining or protective order specified in subparagraph (A). (2) An emergency protective order that meets the requirements of paragraph (1) shall have precedence in enforcement over the provisions of any other restraining or protective order only with respect to those provisions of the emergency protective order that are more restrictive in relation to the restrained person. (d) (1) A person subject to a protective order issued under this section shall not own, possess, purchase, receive, or attempt to purchase or receive a firearm while the protective order is in effect. (2) The court shall order a person subject to a protective order issued under this section to relinquish any firearms he or she owns or possesses pursuant to Section 527.9 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (3) Every person who owns, possesses, purchases or receives, or attempts to purchase or receive a firearm while the protective order is in effect is punishable pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 12021 of the Penal Code. (e) (1) In all cases where the defendant is charged with a crime of domestic violence, as defined in Section 13700, the court shall consider issuing the above-described orders on its own motion. All interested parties shall receive a copy of those orders. In order to facilitate this, the court's records of all criminal cases involving domestic violence shall be marked to clearly alert the court to this issue. (2) In those cases in which a complaint, information, or indictment charging a crime of domestic violence, as defined in Section 13700, has been issued, a restraining order or protective order against the defendant issued by the criminal court in that case has precedence in enforcement over any civil court order against the defendant, unless a court issues an emergency protective order pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 6250) of Part 3 of Division 10 of the Family Code or Section 646.91 of the Penal Code, in which case the emergency protective order shall have precedence in enforcement over any other restraining or protective order, provided the emergency protective order meets the following requirements: (A) The emergency protective order is issued to protect one or more individuals who are already protected persons under another restraining or protective order. (B) The emergency protective order restrains the individual who is the restrained person in the other restraining or protective order specified in subparagraph (A). (C) The provisions of the emergency protective order are more restrictive in relation to the restrained person than are the provisions of the other restraining or protective order specified in subparagraph (A). (3) Custody and visitation with respect to the defendant and his or her minor children may be ordered by a family or juvenile court consistent with the protocol established pursuant to subdivision (f), but if ordered after a criminal protective order has been issued pursuant to this section, the custody and visitation order shall make reference to, and acknowledge the precedence of enforcement of, any appropriate criminal protective order. On or before July 1, 2006, the Judicial Council shall modify the criminal and civil court forms consistent with this subdivision. (f) On or before January 1, 2003, the Judicial Council shall promulgate a protocol, for adoption by each local court in substantially similar terms, to provide for the timely coordination of all orders against the same defendant and in favor of the same named victim or victims. The protocol shall include, but shall not be limited to, mechanisms for assuring appropriate communication and information sharing between criminal, family, and juvenile courts concerning orders and cases that involve the same parties, and shall permit a family or juvenile court order to coexist with a criminal court protective order subject to the following conditions: (1) Any order that permits contact between the restrained person and his or her children shall provide for the safe exchange of the children and shall not contain language either printed or handwritten that violates a "no contact order" issued by a criminal court. (2) Safety of all parties shall be the courts' paramount concern. The family or juvenile court shall specify the time, day, place, and manner of transfer of the child, as provided in Section 3100 of the Family Code. (g) On or before January 1, 2003, the Judicial Council shall modify the criminal and civil court protective order forms consistent with this section. SEC. 2. Section 1463.24 is added to the Penal Code, to read: 1463.24. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in addition to any other fine or penalty assessment, there shall be levied an assessment of not more than ______ dollars ($____) upon every fine, penalty, or forfeiture imposed and collected by the courts for a crime of domestic violence, as defined in Section 13700. Notwithstanding Section 1463 or 1464, money collected pursuant to this section shall be used to fund domestic violence prevention programs in the counties. SEC. 3. Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 13720) is added to Title 5 of Part 4 of the Penal Code, to read: CHAPTER 3. INFORMATION DISSEMINATION 13720. The Attorney General shall develop an Internet Web site that is available to the public that contains the name, date of birth, and date or dates of any conviction or convictions for domestic violence of persons who are convicted of at least one felony domestic violence offense or at least two misdemeanor domestic violence offenses. The Attorney General shall update the Web site on a regular basis. Information shall be retained on the Web site for until a period of 10 years has passed during which the offender remains free of any conviction for domestic violence. 13721. Upon request, the superior court of a county shall provide to any person, without charge, any information regarding a domestic violence conviction that is currently available to the public. This section does not authorize the release of information that is otherwise made confidential by any other provision of law. SEC. 4. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.