Newsom signs law closing loophole in prosecution of criminal threats at a daycare, school, university, workplace, house of worship, or medical facility

I am interested in how this bill will impact the prosecution of terroristic and criminal threat suspect Daryl Jones in Humboldt Superior Court. I will follow up after the weekend with Humboldt District Attorney Stacey Eads.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 19 today to ensure any threats made against schools, workplaces, houses of worship, and medical facilities can be prosecuted.

A press release issued by Governor Newsom's office states Senate Bill 19 co-authored by Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) and Assemblymember Dr. Darshana Patel (D-San Diego County) to close a loophole and allow prosecution for threats made against a daycare, school, university, workplace, house of worship, or medical facility.

California Penal Code Section 422 criminalizes credible threats to commit a violent act causing death or great bodily injury at a daycare, school, university, workplace, house of worship, or medical facility. This bill clarifies that such threats are criminal even if a specific person isn't identified.

"Californians should not fear attending our schools or places of worship, and those who make threats against these vulnerable spaces should be held accountable for their actions,” said California Police Chiefs Association President Jason Salazar. “SB 19 takes an important step towards making our communities safer by closing a loophole that has allowed these threats to happen with impunity, and we are grateful for the Governor’s action today in signing this critical legislation.”

What this means 

✅ Creates a new crime addressing situations in which  someone makes a threat to commit a violent act at a daycare, school, university, workplace, house of worship, or medical facility.

✅ Threats include statements or other communications, including images posted on social media, intended to create fear of a violent act and which cause fear for one’s safety or the safety of others at these sensitive locations. 

Extremists and extremist groups

There are over 100 active hate-motivated extremist groups in California, according to state law enforcement experts, compared to nearly 1,400 hate-motivated extremist groups nationwide.