California Penal Code

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The Penal Code of California forms the basis for the application of criminal law in the American state of California. It was originally enacted in 1872 as one of the original four California Codes, and has been substantially amended and revised since then. The code is divided into Parts 1 and 2, which each contain 'titles,' some of these being subdivided into 'chapters,' with 'sections' comprising the smallest unit of content. The balance of this article will deal exclusively with the substantive criminal law set out in Part 1, as Part 2 contains only administrative and procedural provisions. California's drug laws are not found within the Penal Code at all, but in a separate enactment, the California Health and Safety Code.