California · Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC

WIC §7326: Any person who willfully assists any judicially committed or remanded patient of a state hospital or other public or private mental health facility to escape, to attempt to escape therefrom, or to res

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

It is illegal to knowingly help a mentally ill patient escape from or resist return to a state or private mental health facility. Punishment ranges from county jail time to state prison.

Read the full statutory text
Any person who willfully assists any judicially committed or remanded patient of a state hospital or other public or private mental health facility to escape, to attempt to escape therefrom, or to resist being returned from a leave of absence shall be punished by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code, a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or both such imprisonment and fine; or by imprisonment in a county jail for a period of not more than one year, a fine of not more than two thousand dollars ($2,000), or both such imprisonment and fine.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

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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.