California · Penal Code

PEN §152: (a) Every person who, having knowledge of an accidental death, actively conceals or attempts to conceal that death, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

A person who knowingly actively conceals or attempts to conceal an accidental death is guilty of a misdemeanor. Active concealment includes hiding the body, obstructing discovery, destroying evidence, or destroying the instrument of death.

Read the full statutory text
(a) Every person who, having knowledge of an accidental death, actively conceals or attempts to conceal that death, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment. (b) For purposes of this section, “to actively conceal an accidental death” means any of the following: (1) To perform an overt act that conceals the body or directly impedes the ability of authorities or family members to discover the body. (2) To directly destroy or suppress evidence of the actual physical body of the deceased, including, but not limited to, bodily fluids or tissues. (3) To destroy or suppress the actual physical instrumentality of death.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

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