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April 21, 2008
Your letters did it! AB 2523 amended!
Dear FCL Supporter,
Assembly Bill 2523, by Sharon Runner, R., Lancaster, could have criminalized virtually any communication between an adult and a minor that "lures" the minor to another location. Consider the following hypothetical scenario:
A young musician, age 17, seeking to join a rock band, places an advertisement on Craigslist describing his or her musical talents. The advertisement is answered by another musician age 21, or older, who invites the minor to attend an audition at a local music studio. Because the audition takes place late at night, the adult tells the minor "don't tell your mom!"
Before the bill was amended, the adult's behavior in the aforementioned example could have been subject to criminal prosecution despite the lack of any criminal intent if prosecutors determined that there was an attempt to avoid parental consent, a potentially huge expansion of the criminal justice net. To our surprise, the bill easily passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee.
We asked you to write letters and make phone calls to oppose the bill, and you did!
We're pleased to report that the bill has been amended to require that the "luring" of a minor between the ages of 14 to 17 to another location must now be for an unlawful purpose. (If the minor is under age 14, the adult's behavior in the aforementioned example could still be criminalized if prosecutors prove that there was an attempt to avoid parental consent.)
Your efforts make a difference in Sacramento. While AB 2523 may not be a great bill in its amended form, thanks to you, it is now something we can live with.
Thank you for helping to make FCL's voice louder in the State Capitol.
Sincerely yours,
Jim Lindburg
Legislative Advocate
Friends Committee on Legislation
717 K St., Suite 500-B
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 443-3734
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