New ERA Article February, 2001

New California Laws
Effective January, 2001

Each year, the California Legislature enacts many laws which become effective on January 1 of the following year. The following are a few of the more interesting laws which took effect on January 1, 2001:

Landlords must now give tenants 60 days’ notice, rather than 30 days notice, when rent is raised more than 10% in a 12 month period prior to the effective date of the proposed increase. [SB 1745]

Toy guns sold in California must now be produced in bright orange or green or a combination of both. [AB 2053] The law’s intent is said to prevent the shooting of children by police who believe the toy gun is the real thing. Hopefully, this law will prevent the shooting of an adult who might wave around a toy gun at a costume party!

For those of you who are into wine as your alcoholic beverage of choice, no winemaker is permitted to use "Napa" on its label, unless 75% of the grapes used in the wine come from Napa Valley in Northern California. [SB 1293]

Eye care is a speciality undertaken by ophthalmologists (medical doctors) and optometrists (well educated, but not medical doctors). Optometrists may now prescribe antibiotics for eye infections and medications for certain types of glaucoma. [SP 929]

The pay for jurors in California has been raised from $5.00 to $15.00 per day. [AB 2866] In addition, gays and lesbians cannot be excluded from juries because of their sexual orientation. [AB 2418]

Have you ever observed an individual misuse a license plate or parking placard for disabled drivers at the airport or grocery market parking lot? The fine for fraudulently or otherwise misusing such plates or placards is now $250.00. [AB 1792]

In addition to the lawsuit which a motorist should anticipate, any motorist who injures a pedestrian will face a fine of $594.00 rather than $103.00. In addition, a driver who passes another vehicle at a crosswalk will be confronted with a fine of $270.00, instead of $104.00. [AB 2522]

Nursing homes are subject to greater scrutiny in these times. The maximum fine has been quadrupled to $100,000 for a nursing home found culpable in the death of a patient. [AB 1731]

The State of California will now pay an individual wrongfully convicted of a crime $100.00 for each day spent in prison. [AB 1799]

State workers in California will get a new paid holiday in honor of labor leader Cesar Chavez. The holiday is scheduled for March 31. [SB 984]

Don't even think that the State Legislature has exhausted its interest in passing new California laws. Wait 'til next year!


[This column is intended to provide general information only  and
is  not intended to provide specific legal advice; if you have  a
specific  question  regarding the  law,  you  should  contact  an
attorney  of your choice.  Suggestions for topics to be discussed
in this column are welcome.]


Reprinted from New Era Magazine
Myles M. Mattenson © 2001-2002

	Myles M. Mattenson ATTORNEY AT LAW 5550 Topanga Canyon Blvd. Suite 200 Woodland Hills, California 91367 Telephone (818) 313-9060 Facsimile (818) 313-9260 *Email:* MMM@MattensonLaw.com *Web:* http://www.MattensonLaw.com	New California Laws Effective January, 2001
Myles M. Mattenson engages in a general civil and trial practice including litigation and transactional services relating to the coin laundry and dry cleaning industries, franchising, business, purchase and sale of real estate, easements, landlord-tenant, partnership, corporate, insurance bad faith, personal injury, and probate legal matters. In providing services to the coin laundry and dry cleaning industries, Mr. Mattenson has represented equipment distributors, coin laundry and dry cleaning business owners confronted with landlord-tenant issues, lease negotiations, sale documentation including agreements, escrow instructions, and security instruments, as well as fraud or misrepresentation controversies between buyers and sellers of such businesses. Mr. Mattenson serves as an Arbitrator for the Los Angeles County Superior Court. He is also past chair of the Law Office Management Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Mr. Mattenson received his Bachelor of Science degree (Accounting) in 1964 and his Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola University School of Law in 1967. Bi-monthly articles by Mr. Mattenson on legal matters of interest to the business community appear in alternate months in The Journal, a leading coin laundry industry publication of the Coin Laundry Association, and Fabricare, a leading dry cleaning industry publication of the International Fabricare Institute. During the period of May 1995 through September 2002, Mr. Mattenson contributed similar articles to New Era Magazine, a coin laundry and dry cleaning industry publication which ceased publication with the September 2002 issue. This website contains copies of Mr. Mattenson's New Era Magazine articles which can be retrieved through a subject or chronological index. The website also contains copies of Mr. Mattenson's Journal and Fabricare articles, which can be retrieved through a chronological index. In addition to Mr. Mattenson's trial practice, he has successfully prosecuted and defended appeals on behalf of his clients in various areas of the law. Some of these appellate decisions are contained within his website.