Resources

Megan's Law

Sex Offender Database

For more than 50 years, California has required sex offenders to register with their local law enforcement agencies. However, information on the whereabouts of these sex offenders was not available to the public until the implementation of the Child Molester Identification Line in July 1995. The information available was further expanded by California’s Megan’s Law in 1996 (Chapter 908, Stats. of 1996).

California’s Megan’s Law provides the public with certain information on the whereabouts of sex offenders so that members of our local communities may protect themselves and their children. Megan’s Law is named after seven-year-old Megan Kanka, a New Jersey girl who was raped and killed by a known child molester who had moved across the street from the family without their knowledge. In the wake of the tragedy, the Kanka’s sought to have local communities warned about sex offenders in the area. All states now have a form of Megan’s Law.

The law is not intended to punish the offender and specifically prohibits using the information to harass or commit any crime against an offender.

A new California law, Assembly Bill 488 (Nicole Parra), sponsored by the Attorney General will provide the public with Internet access to detailed information on registered sex offenders beginning no later than July 2005.

This expanded access will allow the public for the first time to use their personal computers to view information on sex offenders required to register with local law enforcement under California’s Megan’s Law. The information earlier was available only by personally visiting police stations and sheriff’s offices or by calling a 900 toll-number. The new law was given final passage by the Legislature on August 24, 2004 and signed by the Governor on September 24, 2004.To find out more information visit the Office of the Attorney General of the State of California at http://oag.ca.gov/

Currently you can check the LA County Offender map at www.MegansLaw.ca.gov. Megan’s law allows members of the public to protect themselves and their children from sex offenders. The information available includes the name, photograph, and conviction information for sex registrants living in a particular zip code. Non qualifying convictions are not included, and address information is not released.

* From the office of the Attorney General’s

Visit Megan’s Law Website

Marsy's Law

Victims’ Bill of Rights Act of 2008

On November 4, 2008, the People of the State of California approved Proposition 9, the Victims’ Bill of Rights Act of 2008: Marsy’s Law. This measure amended the California Constitution to provide additional rights to victims.

This page contains specific sections of the Victims’ Bill of Rights and resources. Crime victims may obtain additional information regarding Marsy’s Law by contacting the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Victim-Witness Assistance Program at 1-800-380-3811, or online at http://da.lacounty.gov/vwap/default.htm. You can find the following information in Spanish. Derechos Civiles de Victimas Derechos de Marsy Card

Victims’ Bill of Rights
“Marsy’s Rights”
California Constitution, Article I, Section 28(b)

In order to preserve and protect a victim’s rights to justice and due process, a victim shall be entitled to the following rights:

To be treated with fairness and respect for his or her privacy and dignity, and to be free from intimidation, harassment, and abuse, throughout the criminal or juvenile justice process.
To be reasonably protected from the defendant and persons acting on behalf of the defendant.
To have the safety of the victim and the victim’s family considered in fixing the amount of bail and release conditions for the defendant.
To prevent the disclosure of confidential information or records to the defendant, the defendant’s attorney, or any other person acting on behalf of the defendant, which could be used to locate or harass the victim or the victim’s family or which disclose confidential communications made in the course of medical or counseling treatment, or which are otherwise privileged or confidential by law.
To refuse an interview, deposition, or discovery request by the defendant, the defendant’s attorney, or any other person acting on behalf of the defendant, and to set reasonable conditions on the conduct of any such interview to which the victim consents.
To reasonable notice of and to reasonably confer with the prosecuting agency, upon request, regarding, the arrest of the defendant if known by the prosecutor, the charges filed, the determination whether to extradite the defendant, and, upon request, to be notified of and informed before any pretrial disposition of the case.
To reasonable notice of all public proceedings, including delinquency proceedings, upon request, at which the defendant and the prosecutor are entitled to be present and of all parole or other post-conviction release proceedings, and to be present at all such proceedings.
To be heard, upon request, at any proceeding, including any delinquency proceeding, involving a post-arrest release decision, plea, sentencing, post-conviction release decision, or any proceeding in which a right of the victim is at issue.
To a speedy trial and a prompt and final conclusion of the case and any related post-1. judgment proceedings.
To provide information to a probation department official conducting a pre-sentence investigation concerning the impact of the offense on the victim and the victim’s family and any sentencing recommendations before the sentencing of the defendant.
To receive, upon request, the pre-sentence report when available to the defendant, except for those portions made confidential by law.
To be informed, upon request, of the conviction, sentence, place and time of incarceration, or other disposition of the defendant, the scheduled release date of the defendant, and the release of or the escape by the defendant from custody.
To restitution.
1. It is the unequivocal intention of the People of the State of California that all persons who suffer losses as a result of criminal activity shall have the right to seek and secure restitution from the persons convicted of the crimes causing the losses they suffer.
2. Restitution shall be ordered from the convicted wrongdoer in every case, regardless of the sentence or disposition imposed, in which a crime victim suffers a loss.
3. All monetary payments, monies, and property collected from any person who has been ordered to make restitution shall be first applied to pay the amounts ordered as restitution to the victim.
To the prompt return of property when no longer needed as evidence.
To be informed of all parole procedures, to participate in the parole process, to provide information to the parole authority to be considered before the parole of the offender, and to be notified, upon request, of the parole or other release of the offender.
To have the safety of the victim, the victim’s family, and the general public considered before any parole or other post-judgment release decision is made.
To be informed of the rights enumerated in paragraphs (1) through (16).

A victim, the retained attorney of a victim, a lawful representative of the victim, or the prosecuting attorney upon request of the victim, may enforce the above rights in any trial or appellate court with jurisdiction over the case as a matter of right. The court shall act promptly on such a request. (Cal. Const., art. I, § 28(c)(1).)

Gun Safety

Former Sergeant, now Lieutenant. Bill Grisafe describes several ways to securely store your firearms in this educational video.

To see more videos of the Pasadena Police Department, check out our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/PasadenaPoliceDept

California Penal Code 12035

(a) As used in this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Locking device” means a device that is designed to prevent the firearm from functioning and when applied to the firearm, renders the firearm inoperable.

(2) “Loaded firearm” has the same meaning as set forth in subdivision (g) of Section 12031.

(3) “Child” means a person under 18 years of age.

(4) “Great bodily injury” has the same meaning as set forth in Section 12022.7.

(5) “Locked container” has the same meaning as set forth in subdivision (d) of Section 12026.2.

(b)

(1) Except as provided in subdivision (c), a person commits the crime of “criminal storage of a firearm of the first degree” if he or she keeps any loaded firearm within any premises that are under his or her custody or control and he or she knows or reasonably should know that a child is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the child’s parent or legal guardian and the child obtains access to the firearm and thereby causes death or great bodily injury to himself, herself, or any other person.

(2) Except as provided in subdivision (c), a person commits the crime of “criminal storage of a firearm of the second degree” if he or she keeps any loaded firearm within any premises that are under his or her custody or control and he or she knows or reasonably should know that a child is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the child’s parent or legal guardian and the child obtains access to the firearm and thereby causes injury, other than great bodily injury, to himself, herself, or any other person, or carries the firearm either to a public place or in violation of Section 417.

(1) The child obtains the firearm as a result of an illegal entry to any premises by any person.

(2) The firearm is kept in a locked container or in a location that a reasonable person would believe to be secure.

(3) The firearm is carried on the person or within such a close proximity thereto that the individual can readily retrieve and use the firearm as if carried on the person.

(4) The firearm is locked with a locking device that has rendered the firearm inoperable.

(5) The person is a peace officer or a member of the armed forces or National Guard and the child obtains the firearm during, or incidental to, the performance of the person’s duties.

(6) The child obtains, or obtains and discharges, the firearm in a lawful act of self-defense or defense of another person, or persons.

(7) The person who keeps a loaded firearm on any premise that is under his or her custody or control has no reasonable expectation, based on objective facts and circumstances, that a child is likely to be present on the premises.

(d) Criminal storage of a firearm is punishable as follows:

(1) Criminal storage of a firearm in the first degree, by imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months, or two or three years, by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine; or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.

(2) Criminal storage of a firearm in the second degree, by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.

(e) If the person who allegedly violated this section is the parent or guardian of a child who is injured or who dies as the result of an accidental shooting, the district attorney shall consider, among other factors, the impact of the injury or death on the person alleged to have violated this section when deciding whether to prosecute an alleged violation. It is the Legislature’s intent that a parent or guardian of a child who is injured or who dies as the result of an accidental shooting shall be prosecuted only in those instances in which the parent or guardian behaved in a grossly negligent manner or where similarly egregious circumstances exist. This subdivision shall not otherwise restrict, in any manner, the factors that a district attorney may consider when deciding whether to prosecute alleged violations of this section.

(f) If the person who allegedly violated this section is the parent or guardian of a child who is injured or who dies as the result of an accidental shooting, no arrest of the person for the alleged violation of this section shall occur until at least seven days after the date upon which the accidental shooting occurred.

In addition to the limitation contained in this subdivision, a law enforcement officer shall consider the health status of a child who suffers great bodily injury as the result of an accidental shooting prior to arresting a person for a violation of this section, if the person to be arrested is the parent or guardian of the injured child. The intent of this subdivision is to encourage law enforcement officials to delay the arrest of a parent or guardian of a seriously injured child while the child remains on life-support equipment or is in a similarly critical medical condition.

(g)

(1) The fact that the person who allegedly violated this section attended a firearm safety training course prior to the purchase of the firearm that is obtained by a child in violation of this section shall be considered a mitigating factor by a district attorney when he or she is deciding whether to prosecute the alleged violation.

(2) In any action or trial commenced under this section, the fact that the person who allegedly violated this section attended a firearm safety training course prior to the purchase of the firearm that is obtained by a child in violation of this section, shall be admissible.

(h) Every person licensed under Section 12071 shall post within the licensed premises the notice required by paragraph (7) of subdivision (b) of that section, disclosing the duty imposed by this section upon any person who keeps a loaded firearm.