California · Penal Code

PEN §4852.13: (a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (b), if after hearing, the court finds that the petitioner has demonstrated by his or her course of conduct his or her rehabilitation and his or her fit

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute establishes a court procedure for granting certificates of rehabilitation to people who demonstrate fitness for civil rights, with restrictions for certain sex offenses and provisions for rescission by district attorneys.

Read the full statutory text
(a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (b), if after hearing, the court finds that the petitioner has demonstrated by his or her course of conduct his or her rehabilitation and his or her fitness to exercise all of the civil and political rights of citizenship, the court may make an order declaring that the petitioner has been rehabilitated, and recommending that the Governor grant a full pardon to the petitioner. This order shall be filed with the clerk of the court, and shall be known as a certificate of rehabilitation. (b) No certificate of rehabilitation shall be granted to a person convicted of any offense specified in Section 290 if the court determines that the petitioner presents a continuing threat to minors of committing any of the offenses specified in Section 290. (c) A district attorney in either the county where the conviction was obtained or the county of residence of the recipient of the certificate of rehabilitation may petition the superior court to rescind a certificate if it was granted for any offense specified in Section 290. The petition shall be filed in either the county in which the person who has received the certificate of rehabilitation resides or the county in which the conviction was obtained. If the superior court finds that petitioner has demonstrated by a preponderance of the evidence that the person who has received the certificate presents a continuing threat to minors of committing any of the offenses specified in Section 290, the court shall rescind the certificate.

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.