CHAPTER
4. The Justice Act of 2019 for the Reimbursement of County Costs
15210.
This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the Justice Act of 2019 for the Reimbursement of County Costs Arising from the Matter of the People v. Joseph DeAngelo.15210.5.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) The comprehensive prosecution of Joseph DeAngelo for multiple murder and kidnapping charges alleged to have occurred between 1974 and 1986 and spanning at least 11 counties across the State of California is pending in the County of Sacramento.
(b) The scope of the prosecution of Joseph DeAngelo is unprecedented and of statewide importance, and the counties affected contain nearly one-third of the population of the entire state.
(c) The District Attorneys from the Counties of Orange, Ventura, Tulare, Santa Barbara, Contra Costa, and Sacramento have consolidated all charges
arising out of conduct in their respective counties and resolved that all charges will be prosecuted in the County of Sacramento.
(d) The Superior Court of the County of Sacramento has appointed counsel at the County of Sacramento’s expense to defend Joseph DeAngelo on all charges.
(e) Eleven of the 13 alleged homicides occurred in counties other than Sacramento: four homicides in Santa Barbara; four in Orange; two in Ventura; and one in Tulare.
(f) The expense of the prosecution and defense of the DeAngelo case cannot be borne by the County of Sacramento without endangering other critical services.
(g) It is the intent and purpose of this chapter to permit the County of Sacramento and other counties that meet the requirements of Section 15210.10 to be
entitled to reimbursement for reasonable and necessary costs connected with the prosecution and defense of all charges alleged against Joseph DeAngelo in the same manner and to the same extent that costs are reimbursed pursuant to Sections 4750, 4751, 4752, and 4753 of the Penal Code with respect to state prisons or prisoners.
(h) It is the intent and purpose of this chapter to ensure that defense statements of costs submitted to the Controller and reimbursement payments made by the Controller shall be confidential to the same extent that defense costs are confidential under Section 987.9 of the Penal Code.
15210.10.
(a) The County of Sacramento and any other California county that meets the requirements of subdivision (b) shall be entitled to reimbursement for reasonable and necessary costs incurred in connection with the prosecution and defense of Joseph DeAngelo on all charges prosecuted in the County of Sacramento and any related and successive prosecutions.(b) A county other than the County of Sacramento is entitled to reimbursement for reasonable and necessary costs incurred in connection with the prosecution and defense of Joseph DeAngelo on all charges prosecuted in the County of Sacramento in Case Number 18FE008017 and any related and successive prosecutions, if the county satisfies both of the following conditions:
(1) The county has reached a memorandum of understanding with the County of Sacramento regarding the allocation and organization of labor and costs between the counties.
(2) Employees of the county and other persons providing services to the county pursuant to the memorandum of understanding shall operate under the direction and supervision of the County of Sacramento lead prosecutor or under the direction and supervision of the County of Sacramento appointed lead defense counsel.
(c) A county shall not file, and the state shall not reimburse, a claim pursuant to this section that is filed more than 12 months after the close of the month in which the costs were incurred.
15210.15.
Reimbursable costs incurred by the County of Sacramento and any other California county that meets the requirements of subdivision (b) of Section 15210.10 include all of the following:(a) Costs of participation in any trial or hearing of any matter set forth in Section 15210.10, including costs for the preparation for the trial, pretrial hearing, actual trial or hearing, expert witness fees, costs of prejudgment appeals and petitions, and the execution of the sentence. Reimbursable costs do not include the costs of postconviction appeals and petitions, except as required by Section 1240.1 of the Penal Code.
(b) Costs of the prosecuting attorney in investigating, evaluating, or prosecuting cases
related to any matter set forth in Section 15210.10, whether or not the prosecuting attorney decides to commence legal action.
(c) Costs incurred by the public defender or court-appointed attorney with respect to any matter set forth in Section 15210.10, including the costs of appointed cocounsel under Keenan v. Superior Court (1982) 31 Cal.3d 424.
(d) Any costs incurred for providing training in the investigation, prosecution, and defense associated with any matter set forth in Section 15210.10.
(e) Any other costs reasonably incurred by the County of Sacramento or any other California county that meets the requirements of subdivision (b) of Section 15210.10 in connection with any matter set forth in Section 15210.10.
15210.20.
As used in this chapter, reasonable and necessary costs shall be based upon all operating costs, including the cost of elected officials, while serving in line functions and including all administrative costs associated with providing the necessary services and securing reimbursement therefor. Administrative costs include a proportional allowance for overhead, determined in accordance with current accounting practices.15210.25.
(a) The County of Sacramento and any other California county that meets the requirements of subdivision (b) of Section 15210.10 shall designate separate officers or agencies to prepare separate statements of costs for the prosecution and the defense that shall be reimbursed under this chapter.(b) The statements of costs shall be sent to the Controller for approval. The Controller shall reimburse the County of Sacramento and any other California county that meets the requirements of subdivision (b) of Section 15210.10 within 60 days after receipt of the statement or provide a written statement as to the reason for not making reimbursement at that time. If sufficient funds are not available, the Controller shall request the Director of
Finance to include any amounts necessary to satisfy the claims in a request for a deficiency appropriation.
(c) In reimbursing the County of Sacramento and any other California county that meets the requirements of subdivision (b) of Section 15210.10 for defense costs, the Controller shall be guided by the need to provide a complete and full defense for the defendant as enunciated in Section 987.9 of the Penal Code.
15210.30.
(a) The fact that a statement of defense costs has been prepared and submitted to the Controller shall be confidential, and the contents of the statement of defense costs shall be confidential to the same extent that an application for funds is confidential under Section 987.9 of the Penal Code.(b) The confidentiality provided in this section shall not preclude any court from providing the Attorney General with access to documents protected by this section when the defendant raises an issue on appeal or collateral review where the recorded portion of the record created pursuant to this section relates to the issue raised. When the defendant raises that issue, the funding records, or relevant portions thereof, shall be provided to the
Attorney General at the Attorney General’s request. In this case, the documents shall remain under seal and their use shall be limited solely to the pending proceeding.
15210.35.
The Justice Act of 2019 Fund is hereby created as a fund within the State Treasury. Notwithstanding Section 13340, all funds deposited and maintained in the Justice Act of 2019 Fund are continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal years, to the Controller for the purposes of implementing this chapter.