Governor Newsom Signs New Law Strengthening Prosecution of Sexual Offense Cases

RIVERSIDE – Yesterday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2147 (AB 2147), a new law that strengthens California's ability to prosecute certain sexual offense cases involving crimes committed across multiple counties.

Previously, cases involving sexual battery, indecent exposure, and annoying or molesting a child often had to be prosecuted separately in each county where the crimes occurred, even when the same offender targeted multiple victims across county lines. The requirement forced survivors to testify multiple times, delayed the judicial process, and created unnecessary barriers to holding offenders accountable.

Riverside County prosecutors have encountered numerous cases in which offenders targeted victims across multiple counties, where existing jurisdictional requirements complicated prosecutions and often required survivors to relive their trauma in multiple courtrooms.

"As prosecutors, our goal is to seek justice while minimizing the impact the legal process has on victims whenever possible," said Chief Deputy District Attorney Ivy Fitzpatrick, our office’s legislative advocate. "AB 2147 helps accomplish both by allowing related cases to move forward together. We appreciate Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo's leadership in advancing this legislation and Governor Newsom for signing it into law."

Authored by Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo, AB 2147 expands California's existing multi-county prosecution laws to include additional qualifying sexual offenses, allowing eligible cases to be prosecuted in a single jurisdiction and reducing the need for survivors to testify multiple times.