California moves to end convictions for ‘certain offenses involving’ adults and minors

This is the latest in a series of controversial proposed changes to California law and prosecution practices.

The bill, SB145, according to its sponsor, State Senator Scott Wiener, would “exempt from mandatory registration under the act a person convicted of certain offenses involving minors if the person is not more than 10 years older than the minor and if that offense is the only one requiring the person to register,”

Wiener is the man responsible is Scott Wiener, who also successfully fought for decriminalizing infecting someone with HIV knowingly.

The bill was first introduced at the beginning of last year, and has been under debate since. The senate just passed it in a session late Monday night. The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has yet to sign the bill to make it law.

The current bill allows for the same loophole present when someone is convicted of vaginal sexual intercourse with a minor, extending the judge’s options to decide whether a convict belongs on the sex offender registry or not in cases of sodomy.

However, the original argument used in 2015 was that, since vaginal intercourse can lead to pregnancy, the statute could cause a potential father to not be able to support his child. This obviously does not apply in the case of sodomy.

California Democrats are seeing division in their ranks over this issue. California State Representative Lorena Gonzalez said in an interview, “I cannot in my mind as a mother understand how sex between a 24-year-old and a 14-year-old could ever be consensual, how it could ever not be a registrable offence. We should never give up on this idea that children should be in no way subject to a predator.”

The legal age of consent in California is 18, and under no circumstances can a minor legally consent to any sexual act.