Section 679.03 Of Title 17. Rights Of Victims And Witnesses Of Crime From California Penal Code >> Title 17. >> Part 1.
679.03
. (a) With respect to the conviction of a defendant involving
a violent offense, as defined in Section 29905, the county district
attorney, probation department, and victim-witness coordinator shall
confer and establish an annual policy within existing resources to
decide which one of their agencies shall inform each witness involved
in the conviction who was threatened by the defendant following the
defendant's arrest and each victim or next of kin of the victim of
that offense of the right to request and receive a notice pursuant to
Section 3058.8 or 3605. If no agreement is reached, the presiding
judge shall designate the appropriate county agency or department to
provide this notification.
(b) The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall supply
a form to the agency designated pursuant to subdivision (a) in order
to enable persons specified in subdivision (a) to request and receive
notification from the department of the release, escape, scheduled
execution, or death of the violent offender. That agency shall give
the form to the victim, witness, or next of kin of the victim for
completion, explain to that person or persons the right to be so
notified, and forward the completed form to the department. The
department or the Board of Parole Hearings is responsible for
notifying all victims, witnesses, or next of kin of victims who
request to be notified of a violent offender's release or scheduled
execution, as provided by Sections 3058.8 and 3605.
(c) All information relating to any person receiving notice
pursuant to subdivision (b) shall remain confidential and is not
subject to disclosure pursuant to the California Public Records Act
(Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1
of the Government Code).
(d) Nothing in this section precludes a victim, witness, or next
of kin of the victim from requesting notification using an automated
electronic notification process, if available.