Today's Law As Amended


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AB-1999 Underage drinkers: immunity from prosecution.(2009-2010)



As Amends the Law Today


SECTION 1.

 Section 25658 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

25658.
 (a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (c), every person who sells, furnishes, gives, or causes to be sold, furnished, or given away away,  any alcoholic beverage to any person under the age of  21 years of age  is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(b) Except as provided in Section 25667 or 25668,  25667,  any person under the age of  21 years of age  who purchases any alcoholic beverage, or any person under the age of  21 years of age  who consumes any alcoholic beverage in any on-sale premises, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(c) Any person who violates subdivision (a) by purchasing any alcoholic beverage for, or furnishing, giving, or giving away any alcoholic beverage to, a person under 21 years of age,  the age of 21 years,  and the person under the age of  21 years of age  thereafter consumes the alcohol and thereby proximately causes great bodily injury or death to themselves  himself, herself,  or any other person, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(d) Any on-sale licensee who knowingly permits a person under the age of  21 years of age  to consume any alcoholic beverage in the on-sale premises, whether or not the licensee has knowledge that the person is under 21 years of age,  the age of 21 years,  is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(e) (1) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2) or  (2),  (3), or Section 25667 or 25668,  25667,  any person who violates this section shall be punished by a fine of two hundred fifty dollars ($250), no part of which shall be suspended, or the person shall be required to perform not less than 24 hours or more than 32 hours of community service during hours when the person is not employed and is not attending school, or a combination of a fine and community service as determined by the court. A second or subsequent violation of subdivision (b), where prosecution of the previous violation was not barred pursuant to Section 25667 or 25668,  25667,  shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or the person shall be required to perform not less than 36 hours or more than 48 hours of community service during hours when the person is not employed and is not attending school, or a combination of a fine and community service as determined by the court. It is the intent of the Legislature that the community service requirements prescribed in this section require service at an alcohol or drug treatment program or facility or at a county coroner’s office, if available, in the area where the violation occurred or where the person resides.
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), any person who violates subdivision (a) by furnishing an alcoholic beverage, or causing an alcoholic beverage to be furnished, to a minor shall be punished by a fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000), no part of which shall be suspended, and the person shall be required to perform not less than 24 hours of community service during hours when the person is not employed and is not attending school.
(3) Any person who violates subdivision (c) shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for a minimum term of six months not to exceed one year, by a fine of three one  thousand dollars ($3,000), ($1,000),  or by both imprisonment and fine.
(f) Persons under the age of  21 years of age  may be used by peace officers in the enforcement of this section to apprehend licensees, or employees or agents of licensees, or other persons who sell or furnish alcoholic beverages to minors. Notwithstanding subdivision (b), any person under the age of  21 years of age  who purchases or attempts to purchase any alcoholic beverage while under the direction of a peace officer is immune from prosecution for that purchase or attempt to purchase an alcoholic beverage. Guidelines with respect to the use of persons under the age of  21 years of age  as decoys shall be adopted and published by the department in accordance with the rulemaking portion of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code). Law enforcement-initiated minor decoy programs in operation prior to the effective date of regulatory guidelines adopted by the department shall be authorized as long as the minor decoy displays to the seller of alcoholic beverages the appearance of a person under 21 years of age.  the age of 21 years.  This subdivision shall not be construed to prevent the department from taking disciplinary action against a licensee who sells alcoholic beverages to a minor decoy prior to the department’s final adoption of regulatory guidelines. After the completion of every minor decoy program performed under this subdivision, the law enforcement agency using the decoy shall notify licensees within 72 hours of the results of the program. When the use of a minor decoy results in the issuance of a citation, the notification required shall be given to licensees and the department within 72 hours of the issuance of the citation. A law enforcement agency may comply with this requirement by leaving a written notice at the licensed premises addressed to the licensee, or by mailing a notice addressed to the licensee.
(g) The penalties imposed by this section do not preclude prosecution or the imposition of penalties under any other provision of law, including, but not limited to, Section 272 of the Penal Code and Section 13202.5 of the Vehicle  Code.

SEC. 2.

 Section 25662 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

25662.
 (a) Except as provided in Section 25667 or 25668,  25667,  any person under the age of  21 years of age  who possesses has  any alcoholic beverage in his or her possession  on any street or highway or in any public place or in any place open to the public is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) or the person shall be required to perform not less than 24 hours or more than 32 hours of community service during hours when the person is not employed or is not attending school. A second or subsequent violation shall be punishable as a misdemeanor and the person shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or required to perform not less than 36 hours or more than 48 hours of community service during hours when the person is not employed or is not attending school, or a combination of fine and community service as the court deems just. It is the intent of the Legislature that the community service requirements prescribed in this section require service at an alcohol or drug treatment program or facility or at a county coroner’s office, if available, in the area where the violation occurred or where the person resides. This section does not apply to possession by a person under the age of  21 years of age  making a delivery of an alcoholic beverage in pursuance of the order of a  his or her  parent, responsible adult relative, or any other adult designated by the parent or legal guardian, or in pursuance of his or her  employment. That person shall have a complete defense if they were  he or she was  following, in a timely manner, the reasonable instructions of a  his or her  parent, legal guardian, responsible adult relative, or adult designee relating to disposition of the alcoholic beverage.
(b) Unless otherwise provided by law, where a peace officer has lawfully entered the premises, the peace officer may seize any alcoholic beverage in plain view that is in the possession of, or provided to, a person under the age of  21 years of age  at social gatherings, when those gatherings are open to the public, 10 or more persons under the age of  21 years of age  are participating, persons under the age of  21 years of age  are consuming alcoholic beverages, and there is no supervision of the social gathering by a parent or guardian of one or more of the participants.
Where a peace officer has seized alcoholic beverages pursuant to this subdivision, the officer may destroy any alcoholic beverage contained in an opened container and in the possession of, or provided to, a person under 21 years of age,  the age of 21 years,  and, with respect to alcoholic beverages in unopened containers, the officer shall impound those beverages for a period not to exceed seven working days pending a request for the release of those beverages by a person 21 years of age or older who is the lawful owner or resident of the property upon which the alcoholic beverages were seized. If no one requests release of the seized alcoholic beverages within that period, those beverages may be destroyed.
(c) The penalties imposed by this section do not preclude prosecution or the imposition of penalties under any other provision of law. law, including, but not limited to, Section 13202.5 of the Vehicle Code. 

SEC. 3.

 Section 25667 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

25667.
 (a) Any person under the age of 21 years shall be immune from criminal prosecution under subdivision (a) of Section 25662 and subdivision (b) of Section 25658, where the person establishes all of the following:
(1) The underage person called 911 and reported that either himself or herself or another person was in need of medical assistance due to alcohol consumption.
(2) The underage person was the first person to make the 911 report.
(3) The underage person, who reported that another person was in need of medical assistance, remained on the scene with the other person until that medical assistance arrived and cooperated with medical assistance and law enforcement personnel on the scene.
(b) This section shall not provide immunity from criminal prosecution for any offense that involves activities made dangerous by the consumption of alcoholic beverages, including, but not limited to, a violation of Section 23103 of the Vehicle Code, as specified by Section 23103.5 of the Vehicle Code, or a violation of Sections 23152 and 23153 of the Vehicle Code.