California Penal Code § 222 PC prohibits administering drugs to another person for the purpose of then committing a felony crime. The district attorney treats PC 222 violations as felonies, punishable by a prison sentence of 16 months, two years, or three years.
The language of the statute reads:
222. Every person guilty of administering to another any chloroform, ether, laudanum, or any controlled substance, anaesthetic, or intoxicating agent, with intent thereby to enable or assist himself or herself or any other person to commit a felony, is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months, or two or three years.
Legal Analysis
California Penal Code 222 PC forbids the act of administering any of the following drugs to another person for the purpose of enabling or assisting themselves to commit a felony:
- chloroform
- ether
- laudanum
- any controlled substance
- any anesthetic
- any intoxicating agent
Example: Jack slips a sleeping pill in the coffee of a Los Angeles jewelry store security guard in order to burglarize the store when the guard falls asleep. If caught, Jack could be charged with violating PC 222.
Violating PC 222 is a felony carrying a California State Prison sentence of:
- 16 months,
- 2 years, or
- 3 years.
Note that people can be convicted of violating PC 222 even if they do not succeed in committing the intended felony.1
See our related articles on possession of a controlled substance (HS 11350(a)) and possession of drug paraphernalia (HS 11364).
Violating PC 222 is a felony.
Legal References
- California Penal Code 222 PC – Administering drugs with intent to commit felony. See, for example: People v. Stevens (Cal. App. 1st Dist. Oct. 29, 2007), 156 Cal. App. 4th 537; People v. Milosavljevic (Cal. App. 4th Dist. Apr. 6, 2010), 183 Cal. App. 4th 640.