A look at major legislation to ease criminal justice laws considered by California legislators during their just-completed session, the sponsors for each bill and the outcome:
– SB10, Democratic Sen. Robert Hertzberg of Van Nuys and Assemblyman Rob Bonta of Alameda, will by October 2019 end money bail for suspects awaiting trial. Approved and signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown.
– SB1391, Democratic Sens. Holly Mitchell of Los Angeles and Ricardo Lara of Bell Gardens, prohibits youths ages 14 and 15 from being tried and sentenced as adults. Approved and sent to Brown.
– SB439, Democratic Sens. Holly Mitchell of Los Angeles and Ricardo Lara of Bell Gardens, excludes children age 11 and younger from juvenile court jurisdiction. Approved and sent to Brown.
– SB215, Democratic Sen. Jim Beall of San Jose, excludes those charged with murder, rape and other sex crimes from recently approved AB1810, which greatly expands the number of criminal suspects who can be diverted to mental health treatment programs and have their charges dismissed. Approved and sent to Brown.
– SB1437, Democratic Sen. Nancy Skinner of Berkeley, restricts the state’s felony murder rule that holds accomplices to the same standard as if they had personally killed someone. Approved and sent to Brown.
– AB931, Democratic Assemblywoman Shirley Weber of San Diego, would allow police to use deadly force only in situations where it is necessary to prevent imminent and serious injury or death to the officer or another person. Died in committee.
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