Every person, not having a right to custody, who maliciously takes, entices away, keeps, withholds, or conceals any child with the intent to detain or conceal that child from a lawful custodian shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both that fine and imprisonment, or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for two, three, or four years, a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or both that fine and imprisonment.
Cal. Penal Code § 278
Child Abduction
Applied in 2 court decisions — leading case 810 F. Supp. 2d 1219 - United States v. Christy (2011)
Most recently applied in The People of the State of Ca v. Pauline Clay (January 2018)
Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 15, Sec. 313
Official source: California Legislative Information. Reproduced from public-domain California statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.