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Cal. Penal Code § 4903

Indemnity for Persons Erroneously Convicted and Pardoned

Redline — January 1, 2011 → current.View current text →
Current — January 1, 2021
As of January 1, 2011
On such hearing the claimant shall introduce evidence in support of the claim, and the Attorney General may introduce evidence in opposition thereto. The claimant must prove the facts set forth in the statement constituting the claim, including the fact that the crime with which he or she was charged was either not committed at all, or, if committed, was not committed by him or her, the fact that he or she did not, by any act or omission on his or her part, intentionally contribute to the bringing about of his or her arrest or conviction for the crime with which he or she was charged, and the pecuniary injury sustained by him or her through his or her erroneous conviction and imprisonment. For purposes of this chapter, when determining whether the claimant intentionally contributed to the bringing about of his or her arrest or conviction, the factfinder shall not consider statements obtained from an involuntary false confession or involuntary plea. The claimant shall bear the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that the statements were obtained from an involuntary false confession or involuntary plea.
(a) Except as provided in Sections 851.865 and 1485.55, and in subdivision (b) of Section 4900, the board shall fix a time and place for the hearing of the claim. At the hearing the claimant shall introduce evidence in support of the claim, and the Attorney General may introduce evidence in opposition thereto. The claimant shall prove the facts set forth in the statement constituting the claim, including the fact that the crime with which they were charged was either not committed at all, or, if committed, was not committed by the claimant, and the injury sustained by them through their erroneous conviction and incarceration.
(b) For claims falling within subdivision (b) of Section 4900 in which the Attorney General objects to the claim pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 4902, the board shall fix a time and place for the hearing of the claim. At the hearing, the Attorney General shall bear the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that the claimant committed the acts constituting the offense. The claimant may introduce evidence in support of the claim.
(c) In a hearing before the board, the factual findings and credibility determinations establishing the court’s basis for writ of habeas corpus, a motion to vacate pursuant to Section 1473.6 or paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 1473.7, or an application for a certificate of factual innocence as described in Section 1485.5 shall be binding on the Attorney General, the factfinder, and the board.
(d) A conviction reversed and dismissed is no longer valid, thus the Attorney General may not rely on the fact that the state still maintains that the claimant is guilty of the crime for which they were wrongfully convicted, that the state defended the conviction against the claimant through court litigation, or that there was a conviction to establish that the claimant is not entitled to compensation. The Attorney General may also not rely solely on the trial record to establish that the claimant is not entitled to compensation.
(e) The board shall deny payment of any claim if the board finds by a preponderance of the evidence that a claimant pled guilty with the specific intent to protect another from prosecution for the underlying conviction for which the claimant is seeking compensation.
(f) A presumption does not exist in any other proceeding if the claim for compensation is denied pursuant to this section. No res judicata or collateral estoppel finding shall be made in any other proceeding if the claim for compensation is denied pursuant to this section.

Official source: California Legislative Information. Reproduced from public-domain California statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.