Bill
SB 281
California requires courts to advise non-citizen defendants about immigration consequences before accepting guilty pleas, protecting vulnerable defendants from uninformed decisions affecting deportation eligibility.
SB 281 requires California courts to advise defendants during plea negotiations about potential immigration consequences of guilty pleas, including deportation, inadmissibility, and other collateral consequences. The bill mandates that judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys inform non-citizen defendants about these risks before accepting a plea agreement.
Immigration consequences from criminal convictions can be devastating and sometimes permanent, including deportation for legal permanent residents and barriers to citizenship for visa holders. Many defendants—particularly those with language barriers or limited legal knowledge—may not understand these consequences without explicit court advisement, potentially leading to uninformed pleas they wouldn't have accepted otherwise.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
Sign in to ask a question.
