BILL NUMBER: AB 2478 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 6, 2016
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Melendez
FEBRUARY 19, 2016
An act to amend Section 27590 Sections
1203, 27590, and 29805 of the Penal Code, relating to firearms,
and making an appropriation therefor.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2478, as amended, Melendez. Firearms: violations.
Existing law prohibits specified persons from owning, purchasing,
receiving, or having in his or her possession, any firearm. Existing
law prohibits a person, corporation, or firm from knowingly selling,
supplying, delivering, or giving possession or control of a firearm
to one of those prohibited persons, and makes a violation of that
prohibition a felony punishable by imprisonment for 2, 3, or 4 years
in the county jail.
This bill would make that offense punishable by imprisonment for
2, 3, or 4 years in the state prison.
Existing law prohibits a person, corporation, or firearms dealer
from selling, supplying, delivering, or giving possession or control
of a firearm to anyone whom the person, corporation, or dealer has
cause to believe is a prohibited person, and makes a violation of
that prohibition punishable as a felony or misdemeanor subject to
imprisonment in the county jail or by a fine not to exceed $1,000, or
by both that fine and imprisonment. Under existing law, for each
felony case, a court is required to hold, and a prosecutor is
required to attend, a preliminary hearing.
This bill would make that offense a felony punishable by
imprisonment for 2, 3, or 4 years in the state prison. By imposing
additional duties on local prosecutors by increasing the number of
preliminary hearings, and by increasing the penalties of an existing
crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Existing law prohibits a person, corporation, or dealer from
selling, loaning, or transferring a firearm to anyone whom the
person, corporation, or dealer knows or has cause to believe is not
the actual purchaser or transferee of the firearm, or to anyone who
is not the one actually being loaned the firearm, if the person,
corporation, or dealer has knowledge that the firearm is to be
subsequently sold, loaned, or transferred to avoid provisions of law
requiring firearms transfers to be conducted through a firearms
dealer and other requirements pertaining to dealer transactions, or
to avoid provisions establishing exemptions from those requirements,
as specified. Existing law makes this offense punishable as a felony
or misdemeanor subject to imprisonment in the county jail or by a
fine not to exceed $1,000, or by both that fine and imprisonment.
This bill would make that offense a felony punishable by
imprisonment for 16 months, or 2 or 3 years in the state prison. By
imposing additional duties on local prosecutors, this bill would
impose a state-mandated local program.
Existing law prohibits a person, corporation, or firearms dealer
from acquiring a firearm for the purpose of selling, loaning, or
transferring the firearm if, for a dealer, he or she has the intent
to transfer the firearm to a minor or to evade specified requirements
on the transfer of firearms, or in the case of a person or
corporation, the person or corporation intends to violate the
requirement, or provisions of an exception to the requirement, that
the transaction be conducted through a licensed firearms dealer.
Existing law makes this offense punishable as a misdemeanor by
imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year, or as a
felony punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for 16 months,
or 2 or 3 years, or by a fine not to exceed $1,000, or by both that
fine and imprisonment.
This bill would make that offense punishable as a felony by
imprisonment for 16 months, or 2 or 3 years in the state prison. By
imposing additional duties on local prosecutors, this bill would
impose a state-mandated local program.
The bill would appropriate an unspecified sum
$2,200,000 from the General Fund to the Department of
Justice for vertical prosecution, as defined, of those offenses
described above, by the department. The bill would require the
department to submit a report to the Legislature and the Governor, on
or before January 1, 2020, which details the number of prosecutions
filed and convictions obtained by the department for the offenses
described above.
The bill would also make conforming changes.
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: 2/3. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 1203 of the Penal
Code is amended to read:
1203. (a) As used in this code, "probation" means the suspension
of the imposition or execution of a sentence and the order of
conditional and revocable release in the community under the
supervision of a probation officer. As used in this code,
"conditional sentence" means the suspension of the imposition or
execution of a sentence and the order of revocable release in the
community subject to conditions established by the court without the
supervision of a probation officer. It is the intent of the
Legislature that both conditional sentence and probation are
authorized whenever probation is authorized in any code as a
sentencing option for infractions or misdemeanors.
(b) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (j), if a person is
convicted of a felony and is eligible for probation, before judgment
is pronounced, the court shall immediately refer the matter to a
probation officer to investigate and report to the court, at a
specified time, upon the circumstances surrounding the crime and the
prior history and record of the person, which may be considered
either in aggravation or mitigation of the punishment.
(2) (A) The probation officer shall immediately investigate and
make a written report to the court of his or her findings and
recommendations, including his or her recommendations as to the
granting or denying of probation and the conditions of probation, if
granted.
(B) Pursuant to Section 828 of the Welfare and Institutions Code,
the probation officer shall include in his or her report any
information gathered by a law enforcement agency relating to the
taking of the defendant into custody as a minor, which shall be
considered for purposes of determining whether adjudications of
commissions of crimes as a juvenile warrant a finding that there are
circumstances in aggravation pursuant to Section 1170 or to deny
probation.
(C) If the person was convicted of an offense that requires him or
her to register as a sex offender pursuant to Sections 290 to
290.023, inclusive, or if the probation report recommends that
registration be ordered at sentencing pursuant to Section 290.006,
the probation officer's report shall include the results of the
State-Authorized Risk Assessment Tool for Sex Offenders (SARATSO)
administered pursuant to Sections 290.04 to 290.06, inclusive, if
applicable.
(D) The probation officer may also include in the report his or
her recommendation of both of the following:
(i) The amount the defendant should be required to pay as a
restitution fine pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1202.4.
(ii) Whether the court shall require, as a condition of probation,
restitution to the victim or to the Restitution Fund and the amount
thereof.
(E) The report shall be made available to the court and the
prosecuting and defense attorneys at least five days, or upon request
of the defendant or prosecuting attorney nine days, prior to the
time fixed by the court for the hearing and determination of the
report, and shall be filed with the clerk of the court as a record in
the case at the time of the hearing. The time within which the
report shall be made available and filed may be waived by written
stipulation of the prosecuting and defense attorneys that is filed
with the court or an oral stipulation in open court that is made and
entered upon the minutes of the court.
(3) At a time fixed by the court, the court shall hear and
determine the application, if one has been made, or, in any case, the
suitability of probation in the particular case. At the hearing, the
court shall consider any report of the probation officer, including
the results of the SARATSO, if applicable, and shall make a statement
that it has considered the report, which shall be filed with the
clerk of the court as a record in the case. If the court determines
that there are circumstances in mitigation of the punishment
prescribed by law or that the ends of justice would be served by
granting probation to the person, it may place the person on
probation. If probation is denied, the clerk of the court shall
immediately send a copy of the report to the Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation at the prison or other institution to
which the person is delivered.
(4) The preparation of the report or the consideration of the
report by the court may be waived only by a written stipulation of
the prosecuting and defense attorneys that is filed with the court or
an oral stipulation in open court that is made and entered upon the
minutes of the court, except that a waiver shall not be allowed
unless the court consents thereto. However, if the defendant is
ultimately sentenced and committed to the state prison, a probation
report shall be completed pursuant to Section 1203c.
(c) If a defendant is not represented by an attorney, the court
shall order the probation officer who makes the probation report to
discuss its contents with the defendant.
(d) If a person is convicted of a misdemeanor, the court may
either refer the matter to the probation officer for an investigation
and a report or summarily pronounce a conditional sentence. If the
person was convicted of an offense that requires him or her to
register as a sex offender pursuant to Sections 290 to 290.023,
inclusive, or if the probation officer recommends that the court, at
sentencing, order the offender to register as a sex offender pursuant
to Section 290.006, the court shall refer the matter to the
probation officer for the purpose of obtaining a report on the
results of the State-Authorized Risk Assessment Tool for Sex
Offenders administered pursuant to Sections 290.04 to 290.06,
inclusive, if applicable, which the court shall consider. If the case
is not referred to the probation officer, in sentencing the person,
the court may consider any information concerning the person that
could have been included in a probation report. The court shall
inform the person of the information to be considered and permit him
or her to answer or controvert the information. For this purpose,
upon the request of the person, the court shall grant a continuance
before the judgment is pronounced.
(e) Except in unusual cases where the interests of justice would
best be served if the person is granted probation, probation shall
not be granted to any of the following persons:
(1) Unless the person had a lawful right to carry a deadly weapon,
other than a firearm, at the time of the perpetration of the crime
or his or her arrest, any person who has been convicted of arson,
robbery, carjacking, burglary, burglary with explosives, rape with
force or violence, torture, aggravated mayhem, murder, attempt to
commit murder, trainwrecking, kidnapping, escape from the state
prison, or a conspiracy to commit one or more of those crimes and who
was armed with the weapon at either of those times.
(2) Any person who used, or attempted to use, a deadly weapon upon
a human being in connection with the perpetration of the crime of
which he or she has been convicted.
(3) Any person who willfully inflicted great bodily injury or
torture in the perpetration of the crime of which he or she has been
convicted.
(4) Any person who has been previously convicted twice in this
state of a felony or in any other place of a public offense which, if
committed in this state, would have been punishable as a felony.
(5) Unless the person has never been previously convicted once in
this state of a felony or in any other place of a public offense
which, if committed in this state, would have been punishable as a
felony, any person who has been convicted of burglary with
explosives, rape with force or violence, torture, aggravated mayhem,
murder, attempt to commit murder, trainwrecking, extortion,
kidnapping, escape from the state prison, a violation of Section 286,
288, 288a, or 288.5, or a conspiracy to commit one or more of those
crimes.
(6) Any person who has been previously convicted once in this
state of a felony or in any other place of a public offense which, if
committed in this state, would have been punishable as a felony, if
he or she committed any of the following acts:
(A) Unless the person had a lawful right to carry a deadly weapon
at the time of the perpetration of the previous crime or his or her
arrest for the previous crime, he or she was armed with a weapon at
either of those times.
(B) The person used, or attempted to use, a deadly weapon upon a
human being in connection with the perpetration of the previous
crime.
(C) The person willfully inflicted great bodily injury or torture
in the perpetration of the previous crime.
(7) Any public official or peace officer of this state or any
city, county, or other political subdivision who, in the discharge of
the duties of his or her public office or employment, accepted or
gave or offered to accept or give any bribe, embezzled public money,
or was guilty of extortion.
(8) Any person who knowingly furnishes or gives away
phencyclidine.
(9) Any person who intentionally inflicted great bodily injury in
the commission of arson under subdivision (a) of Section 451 or who
intentionally set fire to, burned, or caused the burning of, an
inhabited structure or inhabited property in violation of subdivision
(b) of Section 451.
(10) Any person who, in the commission of a felony, inflicts great
bodily injury or causes the death of a human being by the discharge
of a firearm from or at an occupied motor vehicle proceeding on a
public street or highway.
(11) Any person who possesses a short-barreled rifle or a
short-barreled shotgun under Section 33215, a machinegun under
Section 32625, or a silencer under Section 33410.
(12) Any person who is convicted of violating Section 8101 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code.
(13) Any person who is described in subdivision (b) or
(c) (b), (c), (f), or (g) of Section 27590.
(f) When probation is granted in a case which comes within
subdivision (e), the court shall specify on the record and shall
enter on the minutes the circumstances indicating that the interests
of justice would best be served by that disposition.
(g) If a person is not eligible for probation, the judge shall
refer the matter to the probation officer for an investigation of the
facts relevant to determination of the amount of a restitution fine
pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1202.4 in all cases where the
determination is applicable. The judge, in his or her discretion, may
direct the probation officer to investigate all facts relevant to
the sentencing of the person. Upon that referral, the probation
officer shall immediately investigate the circumstances surrounding
the crime and the prior record and history of the person and make a
written report to the court of his or her findings. The findings
shall include a recommendation of the amount of the restitution fine
as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 1202.4.
(h) If a defendant is convicted of a felony and a probation report
is prepared pursuant to subdivision (b) or (g), the probation
officer may obtain and include in the report a statement of the
comments of the victim concerning the offense. The court may direct
the probation officer not to obtain a statement if the victim has in
fact testified at any of the court proceedings concerning the
offense.
(i) A probationer shall not be released to enter another state
unless his or her case has been referred to the Administrator of the
Interstate Probation and Parole Compacts, pursuant to the Uniform Act
for Out-of-State Probationer or Parolee Supervision (Article 3
(commencing with Section 11175) of Chapter 2 of Title 1 of Part 4)
and the probationer has reimbursed the county that has jurisdiction
over his or her probation case the reasonable costs of processing his
or her request for interstate compact supervision. The amount and
method of reimbursement shall be in accordance with Section 1203.1b.
(j) In any court where a county financial evaluation officer is
available, in addition to referring the matter to the probation
officer, the court may order the defendant to appear before the
county financial evaluation officer for a financial evaluation of the
defendant's ability to pay restitution, in which case the county
financial evaluation officer shall report his or her findings
regarding restitution and other court-related costs to the probation
officer on the question of the defendant's ability to pay those
costs.
Any order made pursuant to this subdivision may be enforced as a
violation of the terms and conditions of probation upon willful
failure to pay and at the discretion of the court, may be enforced in
the same manner as a judgment in a civil action, if any balance
remains unpaid at the end of the defendant's probationary period.
(k) Probation shall not be granted to, nor shall the execution of,
or imposition of sentence be suspended for, any person who is
convicted of a violent felony, as defined in subdivision (c) of
Section 667.5, or a serious felony, as defined in subdivision (c) of
Section 1192.7, and who was on probation for a felony offense at the
time of the commission of the new felony offense.
SECTION 1. SEC. 2. Section 27590 of
the Penal Code is amended to read:
27590. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), (c), or (e), a
violation of this article is a misdemeanor.
(b) If any of the following circumstances apply, a violation of
this article is punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision
(h) of Section 1170 for two, three, or four years.
(1) If the defendant has a prior conviction of violating the
provisions, other than Section 27535, Section 27560 involving a
firearm that is not a handgun, or Section 27565 involving a firearm
that is not a handgun, of this article or former Section 12100 of
this code, as Section 12100 read at any time from when it was enacted
by Section 3 of Chapter 1386 of the Statutes of 1988 to when it was
repealed by Section 18 of Chapter 23 of the Statutes of 1994, or
Section 8101 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(2) If the defendant has a prior conviction of violating any
offense specified in Section 29905 or of a violation of Section 32625
or 33410, or of former Section 12560, as that section read at any
time from when it was enacted by Section 4 of Chapter 931 of the
Statutes of 1965 to when it was repealed by Section 14 of Chapter 9
of the Statutes of 1990, or of any provision listed in Section 16590.
(3) If the defendant is in a prohibited class described in Chapter
2 (commencing with Section 29800) or Chapter 3 (commencing with
Section 29900) of Division 9 of this title, or Section 8100 or 8103
of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(4) A violation of this article by a person who actively
participates in a "criminal street gang" as defined in Section
186.22.
(5) A violation of Section 27510 involving the delivery of any
firearm to a person who the dealer knows, or should know, is a minor.
(c) A violation of any of the following shall be punished by
imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year or pursuant to
subdivision (h) of Section 1170, or by a fine not to exceed one
thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment:
(1) A violation of Section 27505 involving the sale, loan, or
transfer of a handgun to a minor.
(2) A violation of Section 27510 involving the delivery of a
handgun.
(3) A violation of subdivision (a), (c), (d), (e), or (f) of
Section 27540 involving a handgun.
(4) A violation of Section 27545 involving a handgun.
(5) A violation of Section 27550.
(6) A violation of Section 27585 involving a handgun.
(d) An additional term of imprisonment for one, two, or three
years shall be imposed in addition and consecutive to the sentence
prescribed for a violation of Section 27510 or subdivision (b) of
Section 27500 if the firearm transferred in violation of Section
27510 or subdivision (b) of Section 27500 is used in the subsequent
commission of a felony for which a conviction is obtained and the
prescribed sentence is imposed.
(e) (1) A first violation of Section 27535 is an infraction
punishable by a fine of fifty dollars ($50).
(2) A second violation of Section 27535 is an infraction
punishable by a fine of one hundred dollars ($100).
(3) A third or subsequent violation of Section 27535 is a
misdemeanor.
(4) For purposes of this subdivision each application to purchase
a handgun in violation of Section 27535 shall be deemed a separate
offense.
(f) A violation of the following shall be punished by imprisonment
in the state prison for 16 months, or two or three years:
(1) A violation of Section 27515.
(2) A violation of Section 27520.
(g) A violation of Section 27500 shall be punished by imprisonment
in the state prison for two, three, or four years.
SEC. 3. Section 29805 of the Penal Code
is amended to read:
29805. Except as provided in Section 29855 or subdivision (a) of
Section 29800, any person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor
violation of Section 71, 76, 136.1, 136.5, or 140, subdivision (d) of
Section 148, Section 171b, paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of
Section 171c, 171d, 186.28, 240, 241, 242, 243, 243.4, 244.5, 245,
245.5, 246.3, 247, 273.5, 273.6, 417, 417.6, 422, 626.9, 646.9, or
830.95, subdivision (a) of former Section 12100, as that section read
at any time from when it was enacted by Section 3 of Chapter 1386 of
the Statutes of 1988 to when it was repealed by Section 18 of
Chapter 23 of the Statutes of 1994, Section 17500, 17510, 25300,
25800, 30315, or 32625, subdivision (b) or (d) of Section 26100, or
Section 27510, or Section 8100, 8101, or 8103 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code, any firearm-related offense pursuant to Sections
871.5 and 1001.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or of the
conduct punished in subdivision (c) (c), (f),
or (g) of Section 27590, and who, within 10 years of the
conviction, owns, purchases, receives, or has in possession or under
custody or control, any firearm is guilty of a public offense, which
shall be punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding
one year or in the state prison, by a fine not exceeding one thousand
dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine. The court,
on forms prescribed by the Department of Justice, shall notify the
department of persons subject to this section. However, the
prohibition in this section may be reduced, eliminated, or
conditioned as provided in Section 29855 or 29860.
SEC. 2. SEC. 4. (a) The sum of
____ two million two hundred thousand dollars
($2,200,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to
the Department of Justice for vertical prosecution of straw purchases
of firearms and knowing transfers of firearms to prohibited persons,
in violation of Section 27500, 27515, or 27520 of the Penal Code, or
any combination of those offenses.
(b) As used in this section, "vertical prosecution" means a
specially trained deputy attorney general assigned to the case from
its filing to its completion.
SEC. 3. SEC. 5. (a) On or before
January 1, 2020, the Department of Justice shall submit a report to
the Legislature and the Governor which includes the number of
prosecutions filed and convictions obtained by the department for
violations of Sections 27500, 27515, and 27520, pursuant to this act.
The report shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the
Government Code.
(b) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this
section is repealed on January 1, 2024.
SEC. 4. SEC. 6. 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.