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HomeEvidence CodeDiv. 9Ch. 3§ 1162 Prostitution Evidence Inadmissible For Victims

§ 1162 Prostitution Evidence Inadmissible For Victims

Evidence Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 1162 Prostitution Evidence Inadmissible For Victims

Key Takeaways

  • •If someone is a victim or witness to a serious crime (like assault, domestic violence, or human trafficking), they can't be punished for prostitution related to that crime.
  • •This law protects victims and witnesses from being charged with prostitution if it happened around the time of the serious crime.
  • •The goal is to encourage victims and witnesses to report crimes without fear of getting in trouble for prostitution.

Example

A person is forced into prostitution by a human trafficker and is also a victim of assault by the same person.

The law says this person cannot be charged with prostitution if they report the assault or human trafficking. The prostitution evidence is not allowed in court to prove they did something wrong.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 1162 Prostitution Evidence Inadmissible For Victims

Evidence that a victim of, or a witness to, a serious felony as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 1192.7 of, an assault in violation of subdivision (a) of Section 245 of, domestic violence in violation of Section 273.5 of, extortion in violation of Section 518 of, human trafficking in violation of Section 236.1 of, sexual battery in violation of subdivision (a) of Section 243.4 of, or stalking in violation of Section 646.9 of, the Penal Code, has engaged in an act of prostitution at or around the time they were the victim of or witness to the crime is inadmissible in a separate prosecution of that victim or witness to prove criminal liability for the act of prostitution. (Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 141, Sec. 3. (SB 233) Effective January 1, 2020.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

domestic violencehuman traffickingprostitutionsexual batterystalking

Related Statutes

  • § 1161 Trafficking Victim Evidence Protection
  • § 1150 Jury Verdict Impeachment Evidence
  • § 1151 Post-Accident Safety Measures
  • § 1152 Compromise Evidence Inadmissibility
  • § 1153 Withdrawn Guilty Plea Evidence

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Evidence Code. Section 1162.
View Official Source