Report People - Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office

16
Legislative
Accomplishments
Body Armor Ban for Violent Felons
Signed into Law
District Attorney Steve Cooley fought for and
helped win passage of a bill that prohibits
violent felons from possessing body armor.
Senate Bill 408, authored by State Sen.
Alex Padilla, was signed into law by Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger on June 2, 2010, at a ceremony
attended by the District Attorney, pictured above.
“Violent felons who possess body armor represent a
serious threat, not only to law enforcement officers, but to
the general public as well,” District Attorney Cooley said.
An earlier state law prohibiting violent felons from
possessing body armor was struck down in December 2009
by an appellate court, which cited problems with the law’s
definition of body armor.
In response, District Attorney Cooley sponsored new
legislation, which clarified and simplified the definition of
body armor. The new bill also reinstated a provision that
allows prosecutors to charge possession of body armor as
a felony for any person previously convicted of a violent
offense.
The body armor bill was one of six sponsored by the
District Attorney’s Office in 2010, all of which were passed
and signed into law.
Other 2010 legislative successes include:
Assembly Bill 2632 makes violation of a gang injunction
a separate and distinct offense that will appear on the
violator’s rap sheet, enabling law enforcement and
prosecutors to immediately identify gang members.
Assembly Bill 2229 streamlines and expedites the
investigation of child abuse and neglect reports by allowing
qualified professionals to work as two-person investigative
teams and to share information between team members by
telephone or other electronic means.
Assembly Bill 2210 enhances public safety by allowing
law enforcement officers to use listening devices to
monitor locations where there are hostages or barricaded
suspects. This will provide officers with the best possible
information to base their decisions, minimizing risk of
injury or death.
Important 2009 legislative successes include:
Senate Bill 197 assists prosecutors in preserving the
testimony of domestic violence victims/witnesses whose
lives may be in jeopardy or who may be dissuaded from
cooperating or testifying at trial. The bill authorizes the
Decade of Leadership
001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 •