Sacramento – Legislation by Assemblywoman Betty Karnette ( D-Long Beach ) to prevent witness intimidation has garnered support from the Long Beach City Council.  On March 13, 2007 the City Council voted to draft a resolution supporting Assembly Bill 790.

“There’s no question that something needs to be done about witness intimidation and I am glad to be on the same page with the Long Beach City Council on this,” said Karnette.”  When witnesses get threatened, our justice system is threatened as well.  We can’t have safe cites and streets if witnesses are afraid to step up and do their job.” 

Assembly Bill 790, sponsored by the Long Beach Police Officers Association, would require that witness intimidation be prosecuted as a felony, rather than allow it to be punished as a misdemeanor as is permitted under current law.  The bill also adds a sentence enhancement for gang related crimes.

This legislation was partially motivated by the Long Beach Halloween beatings trial, which was conducted against a backdrop of witness intimidation.  During the trial, one witness was intimidated and frightened on her way to court when several individuals who appeared like gang members surrounded her car.  Days later, her car was demolished by one or more cars that repeatedly crashed into it while parked.  Another witness simply refused to testify for fear of retaliation.

Karnette’s legislation also has the support of the Los Angeles Peace Officers Association and the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs.