Supreme Court of California

In a conviction of an ex-felon for planting an object near a government building that resembled a bomb in violation of Penal Code section 148.1(d), court of appeal's decision reducing the crime to a misdemeanor and invalidating the related indeterminate life term, on the ground that there was no rational basis for the distinction between the "false bomb" and the "false WMD" statutes, is reversed as requiring sustained fear for felony offenses under the WMD statute, but not the false bomb statutes, promotes a valid state interest in deterring and punishing the societal harm such crimes clearly cause.

Appellate Information

• Decided 08/06/2012
• Published 08/06/2012

Judges

• Baxter

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel