Article 4.5. Terrorizing of California Penal Code >> Title 1. >> Part 4. >> Chapter 3. >> Article 4.5.
(a) The Legislature finds and declares that it is the right
of every person regardless of actual or perceived disability, gender,
gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity,
religion, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group
with these actual or perceived characteristics, to be secure and
protected from fear, intimidation, and physical harm caused by the
activities of violent groups and individuals. It is not the intent of
this chapter to interfere with the exercise of rights protected by
the Constitution of the United States. The Legislature recognizes the
constitutional right of every citizen to harbor and express beliefs
on any subject whatsoever and to associate with others who share
similar beliefs. The Legislature further finds however, that the
advocacy of unlawful violent acts by groups against other persons or
groups under circumstances where death or great bodily injury is
likely to result is not constitutionally protected, poses a threat to
public order and safety, and should be subject to criminal and civil
sanctions.
(b) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall
apply:
(1) "Association with a person or group with these actual or
perceived characteristics" includes advocacy for, identification
with, or being on the ground owned or rented by, or adjacent to, any
of the following: a community center, educational facility, family,
individual, office, meeting hall, place of worship, private
institution, public agency, library, or other entity, group, or
person that has, or is identified with people who have, one or more
of those characteristics listed in the definition of "hate crime"
under paragraphs (1) to (6), inclusive, of subdivision (a) of Section
422.55.
(2) "Disability" includes mental disability and physical
disability as defined in Section 12926 of the Government Code.
(3) "Gender" means sex, and includes a person's gender identity
and gender expression. "Gender expression" means a person's
gender-related appearance and behavior whether or not stereotypically
associated with the person's assigned sex at birth.
(4) "Nationality" includes citizenship, country of origin, and
national origin.
(5) "Race or ethnicity" includes ancestry, color, and ethnic
background.
(6) "Religion" includes all aspects of religious belief,
observance, and practice and includes agnosticism and atheism.
(7) "Sexual orientation" means heterosexuality, homosexuality, or
bisexuality.
(a) Any person who hangs a noose, knowing it to be a symbol
representing a threat to life, on the private property of another,
without authorization, for the purpose of terrorizing the owner or
occupant of that private property or in reckless disregard of the
risk of terrorizing the owner or occupant of that private property,
or who hangs a noose, knowing it to be a symbol representing a threat
to life, on the property of a primary school, junior high school,
high school, college campus, public park, or place of employment, for
the purpose of terrorizing any person who attends or works at the
school, park, or place of employment, or who is otherwise associated
with the school, park, or place of employment, shall be punished by
imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by a fine
not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both the fine and
imprisonment for the first conviction or by imprisonment in a county
jail not to exceed one year, or by a fine not to exceed fifteen
thousand dollars ($15,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment for
any subsequent conviction.
(b) Any person who places or displays a sign, mark, symbol,
emblem, or other physical impression, including, but not limited to,
a Nazi swastika, on the private property of another, without
authorization, for the purpose of terrorizing the owner or occupant
of that private property or in reckless disregard of the risk of
terrorizing the owner or occupant of that private property shall be
punished by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, by
a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both the
fine and imprisonment for the first conviction and by imprisonment in
a county jail not to exceed one year, by a fine not to exceed
fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000), or by both the fine and
imprisonment for any subsequent conviction.
(c) Any person who engages in a pattern of conduct for the purpose
of terrorizing the owner or occupant of private property or in
reckless disregard of terrorizing the owner or occupant of that
private property, by placing or displaying a sign, mark, symbol,
emblem, or other physical impression, including, but not limited to,
a Nazi swastika, on the private property of another on two or more
occasions, shall be punished by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision
(h) of Section 1170 for 16 months or two or three years, by a fine
not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both the fine and
imprisonment, or by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one
year, by a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by
both the fine and imprisonment. A violation of this subdivision shall
not constitute felonious conduct for purposes of Section 186.22.
(d) Any person who burns or desecrates a cross or other religious
symbol, knowing it to be a religious symbol, on the private property
of another without authorization for the purpose of terrorizing the
owner or occupant of that private property or in reckless disregard
of the risk of terrorizing the owner or occupant of that private
property, or who burns, desecrates, or destroys a cross or other
religious symbol, knowing it to be a religious symbol, on the
property of a primary school, junior high school, or high school for
the purpose of terrorizing any person who attends or works at the
school or who is otherwise associated with the school, shall be
punished by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170
for 16 months or two or three years, by a fine of not more than ten
thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment, or
by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, by a fine
not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both the fine and
imprisonment for the first conviction and by imprisonment pursuant
to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for 16 months or two or three
years, by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or
by both the fine and imprisonment, or by imprisonment in a county
jail not to exceed one year, by a fine not to exceed fifteen thousand
dollars ($15,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment for any
subsequent conviction.
(e) As used in this section, "terrorize" means to cause a person
of ordinary emotions and sensibilities to fear for personal safety.
(f) The provisions of this section are severable. If any provision
of this section or its application is held invalid, that invalidity
shall not affect other provisions or applications that can be given
effect without the invalid provision or application.
Any person who, with intent to cause, attempts to cause or
causes another to refrain from exercising his or her religion or from
engaging in a religious service by means of a threat, directly
communicated to such person, to inflict an unlawful injury upon any
person or property, and it reasonably appears to the recipient of the
threat that such threat could be carried out is guilty of a felony.
(a) Any person who explodes, ignites, or attempts to explode
or ignite any destructive device or any explosive, or who commits
arson, in or about any of the places listed in subdivision (b), for
the purpose of terrorizing another or in reckless disregard of
terrorizing another is guilty of a felony, and shall be punished by
imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for three,
five, or seven years, and a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars
($10,000).
(b) Subdivision (a) applies to the following places:
(1) Any health facility licensed under Chapter 2 (commencing with
Section 1250) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code, or any
place where medical care is provided by a licensed health care
professional.
(2) Any church, temple, synagogue, mosque, or other place of
worship.
(3) The buildings, offices, and meeting sites of organizations
that counsel for or against abortion or among whose major activities
are lobbying, publicizing, or organizing with respect to public or
private issues relating to abortion.
(4) Any place at which a lecture, film-showing, or other private
meeting or presentation that educates or propagates with respect to
abortion practices or policies, whether on private property or at a
meeting site authorized for specific use by a private group on public
property, is taking place.
(5) Any bookstore or public or private library.
(6) Any building or facility designated as a courthouse.
(7) The home or office of a judicial officer.
(8) Any building or facility regularly occupied by county
probation department personnel in which the employees perform
official duties of the probation department.
(9) Any private property, if the property was targeted in whole or
in part because of any of the actual or perceived characteristics of
the owner or occupant of the property listed in subdivision (a) of
Section 422.55.
(10) Any public or private school providing instruction in
kindergarten or grades 1 to 12, inclusive.
(c) As used in this section, "judicial officer" means a
magistrate, judge, justice, commissioner, referee, or any person
appointed by a court to serve in one of these capacities, of any
state or federal court located in this state.
(d) As used in this section, "terrorizing" means to cause a person
of ordinary emotions and sensibilities to fear for personal safety.
(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the
prosecution of any person pursuant to Section 18740 or any other
provision of law in lieu of prosecution pursuant to this section.
(a) Any person who intentionally harasses the child or ward
of any other person because of that person's employment shall be
punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or
by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both
that fine and imprisonment.
(b) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall
apply:
(1) "Child" and "ward" mean a person under 16 years of age.
(2) "Harasses" means knowing and willful conduct directed at a
specific child or ward that seriously alarms, annoys, torments, or
terrorizes the child or ward, and that serves no legitimate purpose,
including, but not limited to, that conduct occurring during the
course of any actual or attempted recording of the child's or ward's
image or voice, or both, without the express consent of the parent or
legal guardian of the child or ward, by following the child's or
ward's activities or by lying in wait. The conduct must be such as
would cause a reasonable child to suffer substantial emotional
distress, and actually cause the victim to suffer substantial
emotional distress.
(3) "Employment" means the job, vocation, occupation, or
profession of the parent or legal guardian of the child or ward.
(c) A second conviction under this section shall be punished by a
fine not exceeding twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) and by
imprisonment in a county jail for not less than five days but not
exceeding one year. A third or subsequent conviction under this
section shall be punished by a fine not exceeding thirty thousand
dollars ($30,000) and by imprisonment in a county jail for not less
than 30 days but not exceeding one year.
(d) Upon a violation of this section, the parent or legal guardian
of an aggrieved child or ward may bring a civil action against the
violator on behalf of the child or ward. The remedies in that civil
action shall be limited to one or more of the following: actual
damages, punitive damages, reasonable attorney's fees, costs,
disgorgement of any compensation from the sale, license, or
dissemination of a child's image or voice received by the individual
who, in violation of this section, recorded the child's image or
voice, and injunctive relief against further violations of this
section by the individual.
(e) The act of transmitting, publishing, or broadcasting a
recording of the image or voice of a child does not constitute a
violation of this section.
(f) This section does not preclude prosecution under any section
of law that provides for greater punishment.