CHAPTER 13. Disposition of Evidence in Criminal Cases [1417. - 1417.9.]

Cal. Penal Code - PEN 13.

in effect

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 1417. Section 1417.

All exhibits which have been introduced or filed in any criminal action or proceeding shall be retained by the clerk of the court who shall establish a procedure to account for the exhibits properly, subject to Sections 1417.2 and 1417.3 until final determination of the action or proceedings and the exhibits shall thereafter be distributed or disposed of as provided in this chapter.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 1417.1. Section 1417.1.

No order shall be made for the destruction of an exhibit prior to the final determination of the action or proceeding. For the purposes of this chapter, the date when a criminal action or proceeding becomes final is as follows: (a) When no notice of appeal is filed, 30 days after the last day for filing that notice. (b) When a notice of appeal is filed, 30 days after the date the clerk of the court receives the remittitur affirming the judgment. (c) When an order for a rehearing, a new trial, or other proceeding is granted and the ordered proceedings have not been commenced within one year thereafter, one year after the date of that order. (d) (1) In cases where the death penalty is imposed, 30 days after the date of execution of sentence. (2) In cases where the death penalty is imposed and the defendant dies while awaiting execution, one year after the date of the defendant’s death.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 1417.2. Section 1417.2.

Notwithstanding Section 1417.5, the court may, on application of the party entitled thereto or an agent designated in writing by the owner, order an exhibit delivered to that party at any time prior to the final determination of the action or proceeding, upon stipulation of the parties or upon notice and motion if both of the following requirements are met: (a) No prejudice will be suffered by either party. (b) A full and complete photographic record is made of the exhibits so released. The party to whom the exhibit is being returned shall provide the photographic record. This section shall not apply to any material, the release of which is prohibited by Section 1417.6.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 1417.3. Section 1417.3.

(a) At any time prior to the final determination of the action or proceeding, exhibits offered by the state or defendant shall be returned to the party offering them by order of the court when an exhibit poses a security, storage, or safety problem, as recommended by the clerk of the court. If an exhibit by its nature is severable the court shall order the clerk to retain a portion of the exhibit not exceeding three pounds by weight or one cubic foot by volume and shall order the return of the balance of the exhibit to the district attorney. The clerk, upon court order, shall substitute a full and complete photographic record of any exhibit or part of any exhibit returned to the state under this section. The party to whom the exhibit is being returned shall provide the photographic record. (b) Exhibits toxic by their nature that pose a health hazard to humans shall be introduced to the court in the form of a photographic record and a written chemical analysis certified by competent authority. Where the court finds that good cause exists to depart from this procedure, toxic exhibits may be brought into the courtroom and introduced. However, following introduction of the exhibit, the person or persons previously in possession of the exhibit shall take responsibility for it and the court shall not be required to store the exhibit.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 1417.5. Section 1417.5.

Except as provided in Section 1417.6, 60 days after the final determination of a criminal action or proceeding, the clerk of the court shall dispose of all exhibits introduced or filed in the case and remaining in the clerk’s possession, as follows: (a) If the name and address of the person from whom the exhibit was taken is contained in the court record, the clerk shall notify the person that he or she may make application to the court for release of the exhibits within 15 days of receipt of the notification. (b) The court shall order the release of exhibits free of charge, without prejudice to the state, upon application, to the following: (1) First, the person from whom the exhibits were taken into custody, provided that the person was in lawful possession of the exhibits. (2) Second, a person establishing title to, or a right to possession of, the exhibits. (c) If the party entitled to an exhibit fails to apply for the return of the exhibit prior to the date for disposition under this section, the following procedures shall apply: (1) Exhibits of stolen or embezzled property other than money shall be disposed of pursuant to court order as provided in Section 1417.6. (2) Exhibits of property other than property which is stolen or embezzled or property which consists of money or currency shall, except as otherwise provided in this paragraph and in paragraph (3), be transferred to the appropriate county agency for sale to the public in the same manner provided by Article 7 (commencing with Section 25500) of Chapter 5 of Part 2 of Division 2 of Title 3 of the Government Code for the sale of surplus personal property. If the county determines that any property is needed for a public use, the property may be retained by the county and need not be sold. (3) Exhibits of property, other than money, currency, or stolen or embezzled property, that are determined by the court to have no value at public sale shall be destroyed or otherwise disposed of pursuant to court order. (4) Exhibits of money or currency shall be disposed of pursuant to Section 1420.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 1417.6. Section 1417.6.

(a) The provisions of Section 1417.5 shall not apply to any dangerous or deadly weapons, narcotic or poisonous drugs, explosives, or any property of any kind or character whatsoever the possession of which is prohibited by law and that was used by a defendant in the commission of the crime of which the defendant was convicted, or with which the defendant was armed or that the defendant had upon his or her person at the time of the defendant’s arrest. Any of this property introduced or filed as an exhibit shall be, by order of the trial court, destroyed or otherwise disposed of under the conditions provided in the order no sooner than 60 days following the final determination of the criminal action or proceeding. (b) (1) Every person who knowingly has in his or her possession any tool or device that is seized and of a type used in the commission of a violation of Section 10801, 10802, or 10803 of the Vehicle Code, shall be subject to having the tool or device intended for the above purpose deemed a nuisance as provided in paragraph (2). (2) An evidentiary hearing shall be held only upon conviction of the defendant for a violation of Section 10801, 10802, or 10803 of the Vehicle Code and after 15 days’ notice is given to the defendant of the state’s intent to declare as a nuisance any property that is described in paragraph (1). All relevant evidence shall be admissible at the hearing and the state shall prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the property seized is of a type used in facilitating the commission of the crime of which the defendant was convicted. (3) If a person purports to be the lawful owner of any tool or device the state seeks to be declared a nuisance, the person shall show proof by a preponderance of the evidence at the hearing pursuant to paragraph (2), that he or she owns the tool or device, and the illegal use of the tool or device was without his or her knowledge or consent. (4) Following a determination that the property shall be declared a nuisance, the property shall be disposed of as provided in paragraph (2) or (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 1417.5.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 1417.7. Section 1417.7.

Not less than 15 days before any proposed disposition of an exhibit pursuant to Section 1417.3, 1417.5, or 1417.6, the court shall notify the district attorney or other prosecuting attorney, the attorney of record for each party, and each party who is not represented by counsel of the proposed disposition. Before the disposition, any party, at his or her own expense, may cause to be prepared a photographic or digital record of all or part of the exhibit by a person who is not a party or attorney of a party. The clerk of the court shall observe the taking of the photographic or digital record and, upon receipt of a declaration of the person making the photographic or digital record that the duplicate delivered to the clerk is a true, unaltered, and unretouched duplicate of the photographic or digital record taken in the presence of the clerk, the clerk shall certify the photographic or digital record as such without charge and retain it unaltered for a period of 60 days following the final determination of the criminal action or proceeding. For purposes of this section, a “photographic record” of the exhibit means a photographic image of the exhibit or its equivalent stored in any form. For purposes of this section, a “duplicate” means a counterpart produced by a mechanical, photographic, chemical, electronic, or other equivalent process or technique that accurately reproduces the original. A certified photographic or digital record of exhibits shall not be deemed inadmissible pursuant to Section 1521 or 1522 of the Evidence Code.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 1417.8. Section 1417.8.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the court shall direct that any photograph of any minor that has been found by the court to be harmful matter, as defined in Section 313, and introduced or filed as an exhibit in any criminal proceeding specified in subdivision (b) be handled as follows: (1) Prior to the final determination of the action or proceeding, the photograph shall be available only to the parties or to a person named in a court order to receive the photograph. (2) After the final determination of the action or proceeding, the photograph shall be preserved with the permanent record maintained by the clerk of the court. The photograph may be disposed of or destroyed after preservation through any appropriate photographic or electronic medium. If the photograph is disposed of, it shall be rendered unidentifiable before the disposal. No person shall have access to the photograph unless that person has been named in a court order to receive the photograph. Any copy, negative, reprint, or other duplication of the photograph in the possession of the state, a state agency, the defendant, or an agent of the defendant, shall be delivered to the clerk of the court for disposal whether or not the defendant was convicted of the offense. (b) The procedure provided by subdivision (a) shall apply to actions listed under subdivision (c) of Section 290, and to acts under the following provisions: (1) Section 261.5. (2) Section 272. (3) Chapter 7.5 (commencing with Section 311) of Title 9 of Part 1. (4) Chapter 7.6 (commencing with Section 313) of Title 9 of Part 1. (c) For the purposes of this section, “photograph” means any photographic image contained in a digital format or on any chemical, mechanical, magnetic, or electronic medium.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 1417.9. Section 1417.9.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law and subject to subdivisions (b) and (c), the appropriate governmental entity shall retain any object or material that contains or includes biological material that is secured in connection with a criminal case for the period of time that any person remains incarcerated in connection with that case. The governmental entity shall have the discretion to determine how the evidence is retained pursuant to this section, provided that the evidence is retained in a condition suitable for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing. (b) A governmental entity may dispose of any object or material that contains or includes biological material before the expiration of the period of time described in subdivision (a) if all of the conditions set forth below are met: (1) The governmental entity notifies all of the following persons of the provisions of this section and of the intention of the governmental entity to dispose of the material: (A) Any person, who as a result of a felony conviction in the case is currently serving a term of imprisonment and who remains incarcerated in connection with the case. This notification shall be sent to the current location where the person is incarcerated. (B) Any counsel of record. (C) The public defender in the county of conviction. (D) The district attorney in the county of conviction. (E) The Attorney General. (2) The notifying entity does not receive, within 180 days of sending the notification, any of the following: (A) A motion filed pursuant to Section 1405. However, upon filing of that motion, the governmental entity shall retain the material only until the time that the court’s denial of the motion is final. (B) A request under penalty of perjury that the material not be destroyed or disposed of because the declarant will file a motion for DNA testing pursuant to Section 1405 within one year, unless a request for an extension is requested by the convicted person and agreed to by the governmental entity in possession of the evidence. (C) A declaration of innocence filed with the court under penalty of perjury. However, the court shall permit the destruction of the evidence upon a showing that the declaration is false or there is no issue of identity that would be affected by additional testing. The convicted person may be cross-examined on the declaration at any hearing conducted under this section or on an application by or on behalf of the convicted person filed pursuant to Section 1405. (3) No other law requires that biological evidence be preserved or retained. (c) Notwithstanding any other law, the right to receive notice pursuant to this section is absolute and shall not be waived. This prohibition applies to, but is not limited to, a waiver that is given as part of an agreement resulting in a plea of guilty or nolo contendere.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026