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California legal term

in-custody informant in California Criminal Law

Current through 2026 California legislative session

In California criminal law, “in-custody informant” 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 “in-custody informant” mean in California criminal law?

“in-custody informant” means a person, other than a codefendant, percipient witness, accomplice, or coconspirator, whose testimony is based on statements allegedly made by the defendant while both the defendant and the informant were held within a city or county jail, state penal institution, or correctional institution. (Cal. Penal Code § 1111.5)

Statutes defining or using this term

Related terms in the same statutes

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.