California · Penal Code

PEN §993: (a) At the arraignment of a defendant who is charged with a felony and who is, or whom the court reasonably deems to be, the sole custodial parent of one or more minor children, the court shall provid

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

At arraignment, courts must provide felony defendants who are sole custodial parents of minors with information about guardianship, powers of attorney, and child care provider background checks.

Read the full statutory text

(a) At the arraignment of a defendant who is charged with a felony and who is, or whom the court reasonably deems to be, the sole custodial parent of one or more minor children, the court shall provide the following to the defendant: (1) Judicial Council Form GC-205, the “Guardianship Pamphlet.” (2) Information regarding a power of attorney for a minor child. (3) Information regarding trustline background examinations pertaining to child care providers as provided in Chapter 3.35 (commencing with Section 1596.60) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code. (b) If the defendant states, orally or in writing, at the arraignment that the defendant is a sole custodial parent of one or more minor children, the court may reasonably deem the defendant to be a sole custodial parent of one or more minor children without further investigation. The court may, but is not required to, make that determination on the basis of information other than the defendant’s statement.

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