Protect Californians from Public Threats—Close legal loopholes and prosecute offenders
Protect Californians from Public Threats—Close legal loopholes and prosecute offenders
The Issue
***After signing, please text this petition link to to your parent groups, family, and friends. No need to donate money.***
We all deserve to be safe in schools, parks , and other centers for our community.
Right now, people are walking away from prosecution after making deadly threats due to loopholes in California law.
Currently, California Penal Code 422 only allows prosecution if a threat is aimed at a specific person, is clear and immediate, and causes that person to feel ongoing fear for their safety or their family’s safety.
This narrow language creates a dangerous loophole: threats made against public spaces, such as schools, parks, or community centers, often do not meet these strict criteria because they are not directed at specific individuals. As a result, individuals making these threats can evade prosecution, even when their actions cause widespread fear, disrupt public safety, and place entire communities at risk.
Our children and loved ones and are no less threatened because they are not named.
We are calling on state lawmakers to amend California Penal Code 422 to address this gap. The law must account for the harm caused by threats targeting public spaces and the innocent and unaware people within, even when no single person is named. Our proposed amendment would:
- Expand the definition of a "victim" to include all individuals affected within a targeted facility, such as a school or community center.
- Allow prosecution of threats that are credible, even if they are not explicitly directed at a specific individual.
- Empower community members, such as parents and caretakers, to act on behalf of those unable to advocate for themselves, such as children or dependents, when credible threats arise.
Sign this petition to show Sacramento that we demand change now—not in six months, not in three years, but now.
Every day this law remains unchanged, the list of unheard victims continues to grow.
Our goal is 10,000 signatures.
Share with fellow parents and let's make a change!
You can learn more here.
447
The Issue
***After signing, please text this petition link to to your parent groups, family, and friends. No need to donate money.***
We all deserve to be safe in schools, parks , and other centers for our community.
Right now, people are walking away from prosecution after making deadly threats due to loopholes in California law.
Currently, California Penal Code 422 only allows prosecution if a threat is aimed at a specific person, is clear and immediate, and causes that person to feel ongoing fear for their safety or their family’s safety.
This narrow language creates a dangerous loophole: threats made against public spaces, such as schools, parks, or community centers, often do not meet these strict criteria because they are not directed at specific individuals. As a result, individuals making these threats can evade prosecution, even when their actions cause widespread fear, disrupt public safety, and place entire communities at risk.
Our children and loved ones and are no less threatened because they are not named.
We are calling on state lawmakers to amend California Penal Code 422 to address this gap. The law must account for the harm caused by threats targeting public spaces and the innocent and unaware people within, even when no single person is named. Our proposed amendment would:
- Expand the definition of a "victim" to include all individuals affected within a targeted facility, such as a school or community center.
- Allow prosecution of threats that are credible, even if they are not explicitly directed at a specific individual.
- Empower community members, such as parents and caretakers, to act on behalf of those unable to advocate for themselves, such as children or dependents, when credible threats arise.
Sign this petition to show Sacramento that we demand change now—not in six months, not in three years, but now.
Every day this law remains unchanged, the list of unheard victims continues to grow.
Our goal is 10,000 signatures.
Share with fellow parents and let's make a change!
You can learn more here.
447
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Petition created on November 13, 2024