New law gives prosecutors more time in child sex abuse cases
SACRAMENTO, California (AP) -- Gov. Gray Davis signed a bill on Thursday giving prosecutors more time to press charges in potential child sex abuse cases.
The law could help authorities investigating 19 potential sex abuse cases involving Los Angeles priests where time limits were set to expire beginning Monday.
But the law's future is uncertain -- the Supreme Court is hearing a case that challenges whether California can legally prosecute decades-old molestation charges. A decision is expected in July.
California prosecutors used to have one year to press charges after receiving accusations of child sexual abuse. But the law was changed after prosecutors claimed defenders of suspected Los Angeles priests were running out the clock on the time limit by challenging their attempts to gather evidence.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles says the documents prosecutors want are confidential. The new law would stop the one-year clock from running while judges consider the merits of defense challenges.
A spokesman for the archdiocese declined comment Thursday. The Sacramento-based California Catholic Conference, which speaks on church public policy, reported no position on the bill.
Before 1994, authorities had to bring charges within three to six years of the crimes being committed. In 1994, California lawmakers said prosecutors could bring charges at any time, so long as they were brought within a year of a victim informing police, no matter how long ago the abuses took place. The bill signed on Thursday eliminates that one-year requirement if a suspect is challenging a grand jury subpoena for evidence.
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