Section 14649 Of Article 9. Inspection, Sampling, And Analysis From California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 7. >> Chapter 5. >> Article 9.
14649
. (a) It is unlawful for the owner of a plant, crop, or
commodity to knowingly treat or apply to that plant, crop, or
commodity, or cause that plant, crop, or commodity to be treated or
applied, with a fertilizer that was stolen or otherwise acquired by
illegal means.
(b) The owner of a crop, who is found by a court to have violated
this section, in addition to any other penalties imposed by a court,
shall be subject to a fine of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) plus an
amount equal to one-half the value of the crop on which the illegally
obtained fertilizer was applied.
(c) For purposes of this section, "one-half the value of the crop"
means one-half the market value of the crop that was actually
treated with the illegally obtained fertilizer as determined by the
actual sale of the crop or, if the crop is not actually sold, as
determined by the director based on an average of the typical market
value for such a crop sold in the normal channels of trade in the
year in which the crop was produced and in the preceding two years.
(d) Moneys received as a result of fines and penalties imposed
pursuant to this section shall be divided and distributed as follows:
(1) Fifty percent to the county in which the case was brought to
court or in which a court approved settlement of the matter was
negotiated.
(2) Twenty-five percent to the office of the county agricultural
commissioner.
(3) Twenty-five percent to the department.