Strickland bill fails in committee

Assembly Bill 743, a bill by state Assemblywoman Audra Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks) to punish juveniles as adults for rape of an unconscious person, was rejected by the Assembly Public Safety Committee. Strickland’s bill would have added rape of an unconscious person to the list of offenses for which juveniles can be tried as adults.

"Our justice system must keep rapists and sexual predators locked behind bars," said Strickland.

In 2000, California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 21 that gave prosecutors the authority to treat juvenile offenders as adults. However, rape of an unconscious person wasn’t included on the list of offenses for which a juvenile could be tried as an adult.

Strickland introduced the bill after a Bakersfield teen had been sexually assaulted by several teenagers. Because several of the rapists were minors and the victim was unconscious, the rapists received minimal punishments for their crimes.

Assembly Bill 743 failed to receive the necessary votes to pass out of the Assembly Public Safety Committee, and will be reconsidered by the committee next year.

Committee members supporting the bill included: Assemblyman Todd Spitzer (R-Orange), Assemblyman Jay LaSuer (R-San Diego), and Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally (D-Compton).

"The rape survivor and her mother should be commended for sharing their story before the Assembly Public Safety Committee in order to protect other potential victims," said Strickland. "Additionally, Assemblyman Dymally should be commended for breaking party ranks to support a common-sense public safety measure."

According to a 1997 Justice Department Report, one out of eight rapists are under the age of 18.

Ninety percent of juvenile rapists assault victims under the age of 18. According to the 2002 Justice Department National Crime Survey, every two minutes a person is raped. Roughly 61 percent of rapes go unreported to law enforcement.