PETITION CLOSED

  • The time period for signing this petition has ended.
  1. Signatures
    2 out of 100
    Petitioning
    1. Your Governor
  2. Created By
    Tara Shabazz
    Sacramento, CA
About this Petition Petition Letter

URGENT ACTION ALERTSB 1356 (Yee) Domestic Violence Contempt—On its way to the Governor’s desk for his signature!Please Send in Letters of Support Today!CPEDV’s priority legislation, SB 1356 (Yee) a bill on domestic violence contempt, makes its way to the Governor’s desk for his signature.  We have a short window to ensure that the Governor signs this important legislation on behalf of domestic violence victims and their children.  As soon as the bill is enrolled, which will be in the next day or so, we only have 12 days to get the Governor to sign this bill or it is vetoed!  Please send in your letters today!SB 1356 (Yee) would align the rights of domestic violence victims with those of sexual assault victims, and exempt domestic violence victims from being incarcerated for refusing to testify in court against their batterers.  This bill would serve to ensure victims’ safety, by allowing the victim to determine what is in her best interest in regard to her safety.  Incarcerating a domestic violence victim for refusing to testify serves to re-victimize the victim, and often has serious legal implications as well.For more information about the bill, please contact Marivic Mabanag at Marivic@cpedv.org or at 1.800.524.4765.CPEDV asks you to do both of the following:.1) Send in a letter of Support to the Governor urging his signature today; please see sample letter attached.2) Call the Governor’s office and ask him to sign SB 1356 (Yee); see sample script below.  Sample Script for Phone Calls to the Governor’s office to get his signature:Hello. My name is __________and I am calling from ________organization.  I am calling in support of SB 1356 (Yee) to align domestic violence victims with sexual assault victims and exempt them from being incarcerated when refusing to testify against their batterer.   I ask that the Governor sign this legislation today because SB 1356 is an important bill to ensure the victim’s safety. Phone Number: (916) 445-2841 x2Address Support Letters to: The Honorable Arnold SchwarzeneggerGovernor of CaliforniaState Capitol BuildingSacramento, California  95814Fax your Letters to the Governor to Fax# 916 558-3160THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION!

Recent Signatures

SB 1356

Dear Representative,

Senator Leland YeeCalifornia State Capitol, Room 4048Sacramento, CA 98514&nbsp;<b>Re: SB 1356 (Yee)&mdash;SUPPORT&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Via Facsimile 916.327.2186</b><b>&nbsp;</b>Dear Senator Yee:<br /><br />Our Organization _______________ is pleased to inform you that we are in support of Senate Bill 1356, a bill on domestic violence contempt.&nbsp; Under current law, a domestic violence victim can be held in contempt of court and be incarcerated by a judge for refusing to testify against her batterer.&nbsp; Sexual assault victims in California, however, have statutory protection and are exempted from being incarcerated for refusal to testify against their perpetrators.&nbsp; &nbsp;Sexual assault victims&rsquo; exemption from being incarcerated was adopted in 1984, and was created to provide special consideration to sexual assault victims who often know their perpetrator.&nbsp; Current law provides this incarceration exemption to sexual assault victims due to the severity of the psychological and emotional harm that often results from this type of crime.&nbsp; Domestic violence victims, like sexual assault victims, are victimized by perpetrators they know, and experience the same psychological trauma and fear of retribution from the abuser or the abuser&rsquo;s family members.&nbsp; Domestic violence victims are also often victims of sexual abuse, but due to the intimate nature of the crime, it often goes unreported as part of the cycle of abuse. &nbsp;As a result, it is critical to align the protections provided to sexual assault victims to domestic violence victims in California.&nbsp; As an organization that works on behalf of domestic violence victims, we understand that this change in law is needed to ensure victim safety throughout California.&nbsp; Additionally, we strongly believe that a domestic violence victim is in the best position to make a decision about his/her own safety.&nbsp; &nbsp;In addition, domestic violence victims report that once they are incarcerated, if they have children at home, Child Protective Services Agency becomes involved and places their children in foster homes or alternative care during the incarceration.&nbsp; Domestic violence victims also state that batterers often use the incarceration of the victim against him/her in family court and other proceedings as a further means of control.&nbsp; &nbsp;SB 1356 relates only to the type of sentence a court may impose after finding a domestic violence victim in contempt for refusal to testify.&nbsp; It does not prevent the court from making a finding that a domestic violence victim is in contempt.&nbsp; Additionally, this bill does not impact the subpoena power of the court, under which the court may exercise its authority to require a domestic violence victim to appear in court.&nbsp;For all the reasons cited above, we support this significant legislation on behalf of domestic violence victims across the state.&nbsp;

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