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We’ve discussed before how California has been taking major steps to empower workers and end sexual harassment in the workplace. California has banned secret settlements and NDAs that prevent harassed employees from discussing harassment in the workplace, as well as mandatory agreements that limit employer liability for sexual harassment.

If you violate a court order by, for example, skipping out on a criminal court date, refusing to pay child support, or failing to complete court-ordered classes, the judge may issue a bench warrant for your arrest. A bench warrant gives police the authority to arrest you on sight. Bench warrants are based on your failure to comply with a court order rather than any specific criminal activity.

A California bench warrant authorizes police to arrest an individual on sight, leading to potential jail time. A bench warrant can be issued by a California judge for a variety of reasons. Bench warrants, unlike other arrest warrants, are not necessarily based on specific criminal activity.

California Penal Code Section 236.1 lays out California’s prohibition on the practice of human trafficking. Human trafficking is broadly defined as depriving the personal liberty of another person for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor. The California legislature specifically defines human trafficking to be equivalent to the federal definition of “severe” trafficking under federal criminal laws.

California Penal Code Section 236 sets out California’s prohibition on false imprisonment. Broadly, PC 236 defines “false imprisonment” as “the unlawful violation of the personal liberty of another.” False imprisonment is meant for circumstances where a person restrains or holds another person against their will, but the severity of the crime does not amount to kidnapping. In such circumstances, the defendant can be charged under section 236 or 237.

California Penal Code Section 261 is part of California’s sex crime legal scheme and leads off the chapter that criminalizes rape, abduction, the carnal abuse of children, and criminal “seduction.” Rape is one of the most serious felony offenses under California law and carries severe penalties upon conviction.

California’s sexual assault crimes are codified within Title 9 of the California Penal Code (PC). Section 287 punishes unlawful “oral copulation,” which is defined as the “the act of copulating the mouth of one person with the sexual organ or anus of another person.” Consensual oral copulation is not itself illegal in California; rather, penal code section 287 lays out specific circumstances under which oral copulation is prohibited.

California’s child molestation statute is codified within section 288 of the California Penal Code (PC). Section 288(a) prohibits committing “any lewd or lascivious act” with a minor child under 14 years of age. “Lewd or lascivious” generally refers to acts of a sexual nature. Child molestation is an extremely serious offense, and even merely being charged with the crime can have personal and professional consequences.

Criminal convictions come with a host of unforeseen side effects other than the direct punishments imposed by the court. A criminal conviction can affect citizenship status, custody determinations, and credit scores, as well as employment eligibility, creating many additional hardships that make it difficult for those with a criminal record to reintegrate into society and carry on a normal life.

Governor Jerry Brown recently signed a number of laws aimed at criminal justice reform. These laws benefit accused juvenile offenders, beyond the reforms we previously covered, as well as those who would otherwise face murder charges under the antiquated felony murder rule.