CaliforniaProsecutors may seek adult court for some youth resentencing cases
For certain serious offenses committed at age 14 or 15, prosecutors may ask a judge to move an adult-court resentencing case back to adult criminal court.
What it does
For certain listed serious offenses committed at age 14 or 15, prosecutors may ask to move a resentencing case from juvenile court to adult court. A judge must decide whether transfer is justified.
Argument forAllowing a transfer hearing could help courts address certain serious offenses when a young person was previously convicted in adult court.
Argument againstA transfer motion could send a young person facing resentencing to adult court, where juvenile rehabilitation may be harder to pursue.
More detail
A prosecutor may ask to move the case from juvenile court to adult criminal court. The option applies to a person accused of a listed offense committed at age 14 or 15 who was previously convicted in adult court and is now subject to resentencing in juvenile court under Penal Code Section 1170(d). The person must be accused of an offense listed in Welfare and Institutions Code Section 707(b). A judge decides whether to transfer the case and must find by clear and convincing evidence that the person cannot be rehabilitated under juvenile court jurisdiction. The motion may be made while the person is subject to resentencing in juvenile court; no more specific deadline is stated for this situation.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 27Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 563, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 27Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Aug 27Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 20In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading AB1959 Patel By Jones. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 20Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 34. Noes 0. Page 5584.).Passed Senate
- Aug 13Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 13From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).Minor
- Aug 3In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Jul 1From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jun 30
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 15In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
- Jun 3Referred to Com. on PUB. S.Minor
- May 21In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 1959 Patel Assembly Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- May 21Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 69. Noes 0. Page 5207.)Passed Assembly
- May 18Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 14From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 14).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 22In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Apr 13Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 9Read second time and amended.Major
- Apr 8From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (April 7).Major
- Apr 7
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 18In committee: Set, second hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
- Mar 9In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
- Mar 2Referred to Com. on PUB. S.Minor
- Feb 14From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.
- Feb 13Read first time. To print.Introduced
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