Every crime in California is defined by a specific code section. Our attorneys explain the law, penalties and best defense strategies for every major crime in California.
Crimes by Code
Every crime in California is defined by a specific code section. Our attorneys explain the law, penalties and best defense strategies for every major crime in California.
California DUI
DUI arrests don't always lead to convictions in court. Police officer mistakes, faulty breathalyzers and crime lab errors may get your charges reduced or dismissed. Visit our California DUI page to learn more.
Post Conviction
A criminal record can affect job, immigration, licensing and even housing opportunities. In this section, we offer solutions for clearing up your prior record.
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If you commit a crime against a person with a disability in San Francisco, be prepared for harsh consequences if you’re convicted.
Adults with physical or mental disabilities can be particularly vulnerable to crime. Because of this, California law provides specific protections for the disabled (referred to in the law as “dependent adults”) and more severe penalties for those who commit crimes against them.
As the California legislature put in Penal Code Section 368(a):
“…crimes against elders and dependent adults are deserving of special consideration and protection, not unlike the special protections provided for minor children, because elders and dependent adults may be confused, on various medications, mentally or physically impaired, or incompetent, and therefore less able to protect themselves, to understand or report criminal conduct, or to testify in court proceedings on their own behalf.”
Physical or Emotional Abuse
The physical or emotional abuse of individuals with a disability can be prosecuted either as a felony or a misdemeanor depending on the nature of the abuse and the seriousness of the harm done. Penal Code Sections 368(b) and 368(c).
To be convicted of a felony for physically or emotionally abusing a “dependent adult,” prosecutors must prove that:
The distinction between felony and misdemeanor charges is in that second element. If the alleged conduct was likely to endanger the health of the alleged victim, rather than likely to result in great bodily injury or death, it can be prosecuted as a California misdemeanor.
Note that the abuse that can get you convicted is not only willful and intentional acts, but those committed with “criminal negligence under California law.”
Also note that it is also a crime to have sex with an incompetent person. Learn more in our article, “Is it ‘rape’ to have sex with a mentally retarded person in California?”
Penalties for Crimes Against the Disabled
If you are convicted of a felony pursuant to Section 368(b), the consequences can be severe, especially if the disabled victim suffered “great bodily injury under California law” or death or was over 70 years old. The penalty for a felony elder conviction of abuse against a disabled person are:
If the abuse resulted in “great bodily injury,” the penalties set forth above are supplemented by additional time in a state prison. Specifically,
If the abuse resulted in the individual’s death,
The penalties for a misdemeanor conviction under Section 368 are:
Charges of abuse of the disabled are not exclusive. If you commit an offense against a disabled person in San Francisco, you can be charged under Section 368 along with other applicable criminal offenses such as murder, rape, battery, or domestic violence which carry their own penalties.
Given the serious consequences of a conviction for a crime against a disabled person, it is crucial that you retain an experienced San Francisco criminal defense attorney if you are facing such charges. Give us a call today.
A former Los Angeles prosecutor, attorney Neil Shouse graduated with honors from UC Berkeley and Harvard Law School (and completed additional graduate studies at MIT). He has been featured on CNN, Good Morning America, Dr Phil, The Today Show and Court TV. Mr Shouse has been recognized by the National Trial Lawyers as one of the Top 100 Criminal and Top 100 Civil Attorneys.