California legal term
unusual circumstances in California Criminal Law
Current through 2026 California legislative session
In California criminal law, “unusual circumstances” 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 “unusual circumstances” mean in California criminal law?
“unusual circumstances” means a work stoppage, a circumstance described in paragraph (a) of Section 68115 of the Government Code, an unforeseen emergency, court proceedings conducted in a remote court location to which a judicial officer is not regularly assigned to sit, or when a judicial officer has to travel to a location outside a courthouse to conduct the proceeding. (Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 679.5)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.