Cruelty to animals: fighting.

(1) Existing law provides that any minor under 16 years of age who visits or attends any prizefight, cockfight, or place where any prizefight, or cockfight, is advertised to take place, and any owner, lessee, or proprietor, or the agent of any owner, lessee, or proprietor of any place where any prizefight or cockfight is advertised or represented to take place who admits any minor to a place where any prizefight or cockfight is advertised or represented to take place or who admits, sells, or gives to any minor a ticket or other paper by which that minor may be admitted to a place where a prizefight or cockfight is advertised to take place, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and is punishable by a fine not exceeding $100 or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 25 days. This bill would increase the fine in the case of cockfighting to an amount not to exceed $500. (2) Existing law provides that it shall be unlawful for any person to tie or attach or fasten any live animal to any machine or device propelled by any power for the purpose of causing that animal to be pursued by a dog or dogs, and that any person violating any of those provisions is guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would provide that any fine imposed for that misdemeanor be in the amount of $2,500. (3) Existing law provides that the prosecuting agency in a criminal proceeding in which the defendant has been charged with the commission of any of certain crimes pertaining to dogfighting may, in conjunction with the criminal proceeding, file a petition for forfeiture as provided, and that if the prosecuting agency has filed a petition for forfeiture and the defendant is convicted of any of those crimes, specified assets would be subject to forfeiture, as specified. The prosecuting agency for purposes of these provisions includes the Attorney General. This bill would extend those provisions to criminal proceedings involving cockfighting.