Crimes: juvenile victim confidentiality.

The California Public Records Act requires state and local agencies to make public records available for inspection by the public, subject to specified criteria and with specified exceptions. Existing law exempts from disclosure any investigatory or security file compiled by any other state or local police agency, or any investigatory or security files compiled by any other state or local agency for correctional, law enforcement, or licensing purposes. Existing law requires, however, that state and local law enforcement agencies make public specified information, including names of victims, relating to the circumstances surrounding all complaints or requests for assistance, among other things, except to the extent that disclosure of a particular item of information would endanger the safety of a person involved in the investigation. Existing law allows victims of specified crimes, including human trafficking, to request that their names be withheld from any public records request, and upon that request prohibits law enforcement agencies from disclosing those names except under specified circumstances. Existing law additionally prohibits law enforcement agencies from disclosing the addresses of victims of specified crimes, including human trafficking. This bill would exempt from disclosure the name and address of the victim of any crime who is less than 18 years of age. The bill would require a law enforcement officer receiving a report in which a minor is a victim to indicate on the report that the alleged victim is a minor and inform the person making the report that the minor's name and address will remain confidential. The bill would prohibit, except as otherwise specified, the disclosure of the minor's name and address. Existing law authorizes a court, upon the request of a victim who has requested confidentiality, to refer to the victim to as Jane Doe or John Doe. This bill would require the victim of any crime who less than 18 years of age to be referred to in all records and proceedings by a pseudonym, including John Doe or Jane Doe. By creating additional duties for local law enforcement officers and prosecutors, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.