A couple of changes for Criminal Laws in California for 2013.

Amendment of California penal code sec 236.1. This means that there will be more severe penalties for people who are found guilty of engaging in certain sex crimes with minors for example filming a minor’s face for commercial purposes. Even if the convicted person had mistaken about the minors age for example if the minor had presented faked identification documents to show that she is an adult, the convicted person cannot use ignorance of that part as a defense to his case. This law is likely to put many unsuspecting people behind bars in 2013.

A part Penal Code 1170.2 “three strike law” will be repealed in 2013. It is important to note that there are over 8,000 Californians who are serving life sentences after committing the third strike. This new law ensures that for one to be sentenced from the third crime, then this crime must be a serious felony and not just any small crime such as shop lifting. This law will also make it possible for people who have been wrongfully incarcerated to appeal their case which could result in the reduction of their term in jail.