CrimeWatch

E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

Calif. Senate Passes Identity Theft Bill 40-0

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

Recipient E-mail:*
- Your Name:*
- Your E-mail:*
Add a Message:
Send me a copy of this e-mail.

Type the characters in this picture:*

Click here to refresh with new letters

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

Print Share + Comments

Feb 1, 2008 10:11 pm US/Pacific

Calif. Senate Passes Identity Theft Bill 40-0

CBS 5 CrimeWatch

SACRAMENTO (BCN) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: CBS4

The California State Senate passed a bill Friday that would allow prosecution for identity theft cases in the county where the victim resides.

State Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, co-authored Senate Bill 612 and praised fellow senators Friday for voting 40-0 in favor of the legislation.

Current law permits prosecution in the county where the theft occurred, or where the information was illegally used, even when both locations are hundreds of miles from the victim's home, according to Simitian's office.

"Local prosecutors are likely to be more aggressive on behalf of local victims," Simitian said. "The existing system actually favors the criminal rather than the victim of identity theft."

Under SB 612, a judge would ultimately decide where to hold the trial.
State senators Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto, and Bob Margett, R-Glendora, co-authored the bill.