California Assembly Bill AB2055 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2055AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 29, 2012 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Fuentes FEBRUARY 23, 2012 An act  to amend Sections 1524 and 1534 of the Penal Code,  relating to  searches   search warrants  . LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2055, as amended, Fuentes.  Searches: GPS tracking.   Search warrants: tracking devices.  Existing law prohibits, with exceptions, the use of an electronic tracking device to determine the location or movement of a person. Under existing law a violation of these provisions is a misdemeanor. Existing law states that these provisions do not apply to the lawful use of an electronic tracking device by a law enforcement agency. Existing decisional law, in the case of U.S. v. Jones, holds that the attachment of a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device to a vehicle and the use of the device to track the vehicle is a search within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.  Existing law states the grounds upon which a search warrant may be issued, including when the property or things to be seized consist of any item or constitute any evidence that tends to show a felony has been committed, or tends to show that a particular person has committed a felony.   This bill would allow a search warrant to be issued when the information to be received from the use of a tracking device constitutes evidence that tends to show a felony has been committed or is being committed, tends to show that a particular person has committed a felony or is committing a felony, or will assist in locating an individual that has committed or is committing a felony. The bill would require that a tracking device search warrant issued pursuant to these provisions identify the person or property to be tracked, and specify a reasonable time that the device may be used, not to exceed 45 days, plus extensions, as provided. The bill would require that the warrant be executed within 10 days, as provided.   This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation consistent with the holding in U.S. v. Jones.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Section 1524 of the   Penal Code   is amended to read:  1524. (a) A search warrant may be issued upon any of the following grounds: (1) When the property was stolen or embezzled. (2) When the property or things were used as the means of committing a felony. (3) When the property or things are in the possession of any person with the intent to use them as a means of committing a public offense, or in the possession of another to whom he or she may have delivered them for the purpose of concealing them or preventing them from being discovered. (4) When the property or things to be seized consist of any item or constitute any evidence that tends to show a felony has been committed, or tends to show that a particular person has committed a felony. (5) When the property or things to be seized consist of evidence that tends to show that sexual exploitation of a child, in violation of Section 311.3, or possession of matter depicting sexual conduct of a person under the age of 18 years, in violation of Section 311.11, has occurred or is occurring. (6) When there is a warrant to arrest a person. (7) When a provider of electronic communication service or remote computing service has records or evidence, as specified in Section 1524.3, showing that property was stolen or embezzled constituting a misdemeanor, or that property or things are in the possession of any person with the intent to use them as a means of committing a misdemeanor public offense, or in the possession of another to whom he or she may have delivered them for the purpose of concealing them or preventing their discovery. (8) When the property or things to be seized include an item or any evidence that tends to show a violation of Section 3700.5 of the Labor Code, or tends to show that a particular person has violated Section 3700.5 of the Labor Code. (9) When the property or things to be seized include a firearm or any other deadly weapon at the scene of, or at the premises occupied or under the control of the person arrested in connection with, a domestic violence incident involving a threat to human life or a physical assault as provided in Section 18250. This section does not affect warrantless seizures otherwise authorized by Section 18250. (10) When the property or things to be seized include a firearm or any other deadly weapon that is owned by, or in the possession of, or in the custody or control of, a person described in subdivision (a) of Section 8102 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (11) When the property or things to be seized include a firearm that is owned by, or in the possession of, or in the custody or control of, a person who is subject to the prohibitions regarding firearms pursuant to Section 6389 of the Family Code, if a prohibited firearm is possessed, owned, in the custody of, or controlled by a person against whom a protective order has been issued pursuant to Section 6218 of the Family Code, the person has been lawfully served with that order, and the person has failed to relinquish the firearm as required by law.  (12) When the information to be received from the use of a tracking device constitutes evidence that tends to show a felony has been committed or is being committed, tends to show that a particular person has committed a felony or is committing a felony, or will assist in locating an individual who has committed or is committing a felony. A tracking device search warrant issued pursuant to this paragraph shall be executed in a manner meeting the requirements specified in subdivision (b) of Section 1534.  (b) The property, things, person, or persons described in subdivision (a) may be taken on the warrant from any place, or from any person in whose possession the property or things may be. (c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) or (b), no search warrant shall issue for any documentary evidence in the possession or under the control of any person who is a lawyer as defined in Section 950 of the Evidence Code, a physician as defined in Section 990 of the Evidence Code, a psychotherapist as defined in Section 1010 of the Evidence Code, or a member of the clergy as defined in Section 1030 of the Evidence Code, and who is not reasonably suspected of engaging or having engaged in criminal activity related to the documentary evidence for which a warrant is requested unless the following procedure has been complied with: (1) At the time of the issuance of the warrant, the court shall appoint a special master in accordance with subdivision (d) to accompany the person who will serve the warrant. Upon service of the warrant, the special master shall inform the party served of the specific items being sought and that the party shall have the opportunity to provide the items requested. If the party, in the judgment of the special master, fails to provide the items requested, the special master shall conduct a search for the items in the areas indicated in the search warrant. (2) (A) If the party who has been served states that an item or items should not be disclosed, they shall be sealed by the special master and taken to court for a hearing. (B) At the hearing, the party searched shall be entitled to raise any issues that may be raised pursuant to Section 1538.5 as well as a claim that the item or items are privileged, as provided by law. The hearing shall be held in the superior court. The court shall provide sufficient time for the parties to obtain counsel and make any motions or present any evidence. The hearing shall be held within three days of the service of the warrant unless the court makes a finding that the expedited hearing is impracticable. In that case the matter shall be heard at the earliest possible time. (C) If an item or items are taken to court for a hearing, any limitations of time prescribed in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 799) of Title 3 of Part 2 shall be tolled from the time of the seizure until the final conclusion of the hearing, including any associated writ or appellate proceedings. (3) The warrant shall, whenever practicable, be served during normal business hours. In addition, the warrant shall be served upon a party who appears to have possession or control of the items sought. If, after reasonable efforts, the party serving the warrant is unable to locate the person, the special master shall seal and return to the court, for determination by the court, any item that appears to be privileged as provided by law. (d) (1) As used in this section, a "special master" is an attorney who is a member in good standing of the California State Bar and who has been selected from a list of qualified attorneys that is maintained by the State Bar particularly for the purposes of conducting the searches described in this section. These attorneys shall serve without compensation. A special master shall be considered a public employee, and the governmental entity that caused the search warrant to be issued shall be considered the employer of the special master and the applicable public entity, for purposes of Division 3.6 (commencing with Section 810) of Title 1 of the Government Code, relating to claims and actions against public entities and public employees. In selecting the special master, the court shall make every reasonable effort to ensure that the person selected has no relationship with any of the parties involved in the pending matter. Any information obtained by the special master shall be confidential and may not be divulged except in direct response to inquiry by the court. (2) In any case in which the magistrate determines that, after reasonable efforts have been made to obtain a special master, a special master is not available and would not be available within a reasonable period of time, the magistrate may direct the party seeking the order to conduct the search in the manner described in this section in lieu of the special master. (e) Any search conducted pursuant to this section by a special master may be conducted in a manner that permits the party serving the warrant or his or her designee to accompany the special master as he or she conducts his or her search. However, that party or his or her designee may not participate in the search nor shall he or she examine any of the items being searched by the special master except upon agreement of the party upon whom the warrant has been served. (f) As used in this section, "documentary evidence" includes, but is not limited to, writings, documents, blueprints, drawings, photographs, computer printouts, microfilms, X-rays, files, diagrams, ledgers, books, tapes, audio and video recordings, films, and papers of any type or description. (g) No warrant shall issue for any item or items described in Section 1070 of the Evidence Code. (h) Notwithstanding any other law, no claim of attorney work product as described in Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 2018.010) of Title 4 of Part 4 of the Code of Civil Procedure shall be sustained where there is probable cause to believe that the lawyer is engaging or has engaged in criminal activity related to the documentary evidence for which a warrant is requested unless it is established at the hearing with respect to the documentary evidence seized under the warrant that the services of the lawyer were not sought or obtained to enable or aid anyone to commit or plan to commit a crime or a fraud. (i) Nothing in this section is intended to limit an attorney's ability to request an in camera hearing pursuant to the holding of the Supreme Court of California in People v. Superior Court (Laff) (2001) 25 Cal.4th 703. (j) In addition to any other circumstance permitting a magistrate to issue a warrant for a person or property in another county, when the property or things to be seized consist of any item or constitute any evidence that tends to show a violation of Section 530.5, the magistrate may issue a warrant to search a person or property located in another county if the person whose identifying information was taken or used resides in the same county as the issuing court.  SEC. 2.   Section 1534 of the   Penal Code   is amended to read:  1534. (a) A search warrant shall be executed and returned within 10 days after date of issuance. A warrant executed within the 10-day period shall be deemed to have been timely executed and no further showing of timeliness need be made. After the expiration of 10 days, the warrant, unless executed, is void. The documents and records of the court relating to the warrant need not be open to the public until the execution and return of the warrant or the expiration of the 10-day period after issuance. Thereafter, if the warrant has been executed, the documents and records shall be open to the public as a judicial record.  (b) (1) A tracking device search warrant issued pursuant to paragraph (12) of subdivision (a) of Section 1524 shall identify the person or property to be tracked and shall specify a reasonable length of time, not to exceed 45 days from the date the warrant is issued, that the device may be used. The court may, for good cause, grant one or more extensions for the time that the device may be used, with each extension lasting for a reasonable length of time, not to exceed 45 days. The search warrant shall command the officer to execute the warrant by installing a tracking device or serving a warrant on a third-party possessor of the tracking data. The officer shall perform any installation authorized by the warrant during the daytime unless the judge, for good cause, expressly authorizes installation at another time. Execution of the warrant shall be completed no later than 10 days immediately after the date of issuance. A warrant executed within this 10-day period shall be deemed to have been timely executed and no further showing of timeliness need be made. After the expiration of 10 days, the warrant shall be void, unless it has been executed.   (2) An officer executing a tracking device search warrant shall not be required to knock and announce his or her presence before executing the warrant.   (3) No later than 10 calendar days after the use of the tracking device has ended, the officer executing the warrant shall file a return to the warrant.   (4) No later than 10 calendar days after the use of the tracking device has ended, the officer who executed the tracking device warrant shall serve a copy of the warrant on the person who was tracked or whose property was tracked. Upon the request of a government agency, the judge may, for good cause, delay service of a copy of the warrant.   (5) As used in this section, "tracking device" means any electronic or mechanical device that permits the tracking of the movement of a person or object.   (6) As used in this section, "daytime" means the hours between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. according to local time.   (b)   (c)    If a duplicate original search warrant has been executed, the peace officer who executed the warrant shall enter the exact time of its execution on its face.  (c)  (d)    A search warrant may be made returnable before the issuing magistrate or his court.  SECTION 1.   It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation consistent with the holding in U.S. v. Jones (2012) 132 S.Ct. 945.