By Nigel Duara – CalMatters
A law that classifies human trafficking of a minor for the purposes of a commercial sex act as a “serious felony” will take effect Jan. 1, less than six months after debate around the bill roiled the Capitol.
Under current law, human trafficking of a minor for purposes of commercial sex incurs a sentence of up to 12 years in prison.
If the crime involves force, fear, fraud, deceit, coercion, violence, duress, menace, or threat of unlawful injury to the victim or to another person, the sentence is 15 years to life. If the person is convicted of inflicting great bodily harm on the victim while trafficking them, a judge can add up to 10 years to a prison sentence.
Under the new law, people convicted of commercial child sex trafficking would face longer prison terms and potential life sentences.
Lawmakers from both parties had made numerous previous attempts to reclassify the crime as a serious felony, which makes a conviction of the crime a strike under California’s three-strikes law. In 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2017 and three times in 2021, legislators tried and failed to reclassify child sex trafficking as a serious felony.
In July, the latest legislative effort from Sen. Shannon Grove, a Bakersfield Republican, seemed destined for the same fate in an Assembly committee.
But after the bill failed in committee, debate spilled onto social media and a three-day maelstrom ensued. A Democratic legislator who originally voted against the bill reported getting death threats. One of the bill’s Republican supporters in the Legislature accused its opponents of supporting pedophilia.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, at a press conference, expressed dismay at the committee vote. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, a Salinas Democrat, also said he was “very much engaged” in trying to move the bill forward.
Within two days, the bill was back for a rehearing in the Assembly Public Safety Committee, and this time it passed.
Those who originally opposed the bill at the committee said it would overwhelmingly target low-level traffickers who may be trafficking victims themselves.
They also argued that research shows longer sentences have very little effect on crime deterrence, and the harshest penalties would be disproportionately levied on people of color.
“and the harshest penalties would be disproportionately levied on people of color”
Why? Are all the judges white racists?
Ever consider the possibility that the criminals themselves are disproportionately people of color?
Among the things I thought was already a serious felony. Let’s just go death penalty and be done with it. Not something there should be a whole bunch of discussion on.
Trafficking of people should be an automatic death penalty once convicted.
Including the Epstein/Maxwell clients?
So “people of color” are trafficking children for sex more than ?people of not color?? Does that mean white people are not trafficking kids for sex? So much for those white devils huh. Maybe close the damn border and deport the invaders.
Isn’t it cute, public outrage and DEMs can’t get in front of a TV camera fast enough.
.
Imagine progress in deterrence of crime could be made if DEMs
didn’t control both executive and legislative branches of CA government ? ? ? ? ?
.
If there is no threat of incarceration,
there is no deterrence to criminal behavior
What part of “both parties” have tried in the article don’t you get?
What part of “Democratic Super-Majority” do you not get?
Just chop off the male’s member and be done with it.
Racism racism racism that’s all you hear. Statistics tell the truth.And having that word thrown around creates racism.They are changing the words you can use nowadays so let’s put that one on the list.
It’s called “New Speak”. See a previous article on Claycord regarding retiring “addict”
The George Orwell book 1984 has a good description of new speak
Life in prison for child traffickers would still be too good for them.
Those that opposed the bill should be voted out. Those last two sentences in the article are disgusting. You could through that stuff around for any crime. Take that stuff out of the conversation for equity’s sake.