California legal term
good cause in California Criminal Law
Current through 2026 California legislative session
In California criminal law, “good cause” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the California criminal code.
What does “good cause” mean in California criminal law?
“good cause” includes, but is not limited to, those cases involving murder, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 187, allegations that stalking, as defined in Section 646.9, a violation of one or more of the sections specified in subdivision (a) of Section 11165.1 or Section 11165.6, or domestic violence as defined in Section 13700, or a case being handled in the Career Criminal Prosecution Program pursuant to Sections 999b through 999h, or a hate crime, as defined in Title 11.6 (commencing with Section 422.6) of Part 1, has occurred and the prosecuting attorney assigned to the case has an (Cal. Penal Code § 1050)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.