Stacie L. Patterson Law Blog

Governor Jerry Brown signed 760 bills into law in 2011. Most took effect on January 1st of this year. Along with the new car seat law I posted in yesterday's blog, the following are a few new California laws regarding criminal and medical issues taken from The L.A. Times. Click here to read the complete article.

Criminal:

Drugs: outlaws the supplying of a drug or compound containing dextromethorphan to a person younger than 18 without a prescription.

Drunk drivers: authorizes courts to revoke, for up to a decade, the driver's license of any person convicted of three or more DUIs in a 10-year period. Another law bars police agencies that set up drunk-driving checkpoints from impounding cars from sober but unlicensed drivers if there is a legal driver available to take the wheel.

Human trafficking: requires large retailers and manufacturers to publicly report what steps they take to make sure those providing their supplies and products are not engaging in slavery and human trafficking.

Marijuana: gives cities and counties clearer authority to regulate the location and operation of medical marijuana dispensaries. Another law creates new penalties for the possession of synthetic cannabis products, which have been sold in convenience stores and tobacco shops.

Prison phones: makes it a crime for cellphones to be smuggled into state prisons and allows increased time behind bars for inmates caught with them.

Prostitution: imposes a special court fine of $25,000 on defendants convicted of prostitution involving a minor.

A ban on the open carrying of handguns has also taken effect.

Medical:

Autism: requires health insurers to include coverage for autism.

Elder abuse: allows wage garnishments against anyone convicted of elder abuse or financial abuse of a dependent adult.

Insurance: prohibits doctors, when treating workers' compensation patients, from prescribing drugs in which they have a financial interest.

Lap-Bands: requires periodic inspections of outpatient surgery centers that perform Lap-Band operations and other procedures.

Medical consent: gives children 12 and older the authority to get medical care for the prevention of sexually transmitted disease, including the HPV vaccine, without parental consent.

Needles: empowers cities and counties to allow pharmacists to furnish a customer with up to 30 hypodermic needles and syringes without a prescription. Another law permits the state Department of Public Health to allow select groups to provide hypodermic needles and syringe exchange services in any area where it determines that conditions exist for the rapid spread of HIV.

If you need an attorney, call Stacie L. Patterson. (619) 269-8074