Plain English Breakdown
The official text states 'as specified' regarding judges and court commissioners but does not define which specific courts or levels are included in this summary.
AB-352: Criminal Threats Against Specific Officials
This law allows judges to consider threatening a specific government official as a reason for giving a longer prison sentence in felony cases.
What This Bill Does
- Keeps the current rules that make it a crime to threaten death or great bodily injury with intent to cause fear.
- Allows courts to add time to a felony sentence if the threat was against a state constitutional officer, legislator, judge, or court commissioner.
- Requires that the person making the threat knew the victim's identity as one of these officials.
Who It Names or Affects
- People charged with felony criminal threats against specific government officials.
- State constitutional officers, Members of the Legislature, judges, and court commissioners who are threatened.
- Courts deciding sentences for these crimes.
Terms To Know
- Factor in aggravation
- A reason a judge can give a defendant a longer prison sentence than usual within the allowed range.
- State constitutional officer
- High-ranking state leaders named in the state constitution, such as the Governor or Attorney General.
Limits and Unknowns
- This change only applies to felony cases, not misdemeanor charges.
- The law does not create a new crime; it changes how punishment is decided for an existing crime.
- The text refers to officials 'as specified' but does not list every specific title in this summary.