California · Government Code

GOV §7923.615: (a) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, a state or local law enforcement agency shall make public the information described in paragraph (2), except to the extent that disclosure

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

Law enforcement agencies must publicly disclose information about complaints and investigations, including crime details and victim information, except where disclosure would endanger safety or compromise an investigation. Victims of certain sex crimes and human trafficking may request their names be withheld.

Read the full statutory text
(a) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, a state or local law enforcement agency shall make public the information described in paragraph (2), except to the extent that disclosure of a particular item of information would endanger the safety of a person involved in an investigation or would endanger the successful completion of the investigation or a related investigation. (2) Subject to the restrictions imposed by Section 841.5 of the Penal Code, paragraph (1) applies to the time, substance, and location of all complaints or requests for assistance received by the agency and the time and nature of the response thereto, including, to the extent the information regarding crimes alleged or committed or any other incident investigated is recorded: (A) The time, date, and location of occurrence. (B) The time and date of the report. (C) The name and age of the victim. (D) The factual circumstances surrounding the crime or incident. (E) A general description of any injuries, property, or weapons involved. (b) (1) The name of a victim of any crime defined by Section 220, 261, 261.5, 262, 264, 264.1, 265, 266, 266a, 266b, 266c, 266e, 266f, 266j, 267, 269, 273a, 273d, 273.5, 285, 286, 287, 288, 288.2, 288.3, 288.4, 288.5, 288.7, 289, 422.6, 422.7, 422.75, 646.9, or 647.6 of, or former Section 288a of, the Penal Code may be withheld at the victim’s request, or at the request of the victim’s parent or guardian if the victim is a minor. (2) When a person is the victim of more than one crime, information disclosing that the person is a victim of a crime defined in any of the sections of the Penal Code set forth in this article may be deleted at the request of the victim, or the victim’s parent or guardian if the victim is a minor, in making the report of the crime, or of any crime or incident accompanying the crime, available to the public in compliance with the requirements of this section. (c) (1) Subject to the restrictions imposed by Section 841.5 of the Penal Code, the names and images of a victim of human trafficking, as defined in Section 236.1 of the Penal Code, and of that victim’s immediate family, other than a family member who is charged with a criminal offense arising from the same incident, may be withheld at the victim’s request until the investigation or any subsequent prosecution is complete. (2) For purposes of this article, “immediate family” has the same meaning as that provided in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 422.4 of the Penal Code.

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