(a) The center may represent a person sentenced to death on a federal habeas corpus petition if and only if (1) the center was appointed to represent that person on state habeas corpus, (2) the center is appointed for that purpose by the federal court, and (3) the executive director determines that compensation from the federal court will fully cover the cost of representation. Neither the center nor any other person or entity receiving state funds shall spend state funds to attack in federal court any judgment of a California court in a capital case, other than review in the Supreme Court pursuant to Section 1257 of Title 28 of the United States Code.

(b) The center is not authorized to represent any person in any action other than habeas corpus which constitutes a collateral attack on the judgment or seeks to delay or prevent its execution. The center shall not engage in any other litigation or expend funds in any form of advocacy other than as expressly authorized by this section or Section 68661.

Terms Used In California Government Code 68661.1

  • center: means the California Habeas Corpus Resource Center, and "board" means the board of directors of the center. See California Government Code 68660
  • Habeas corpus: A writ that is usually used to bring a prisoner before the court to determine the legality of his imprisonment. It may also be used to bring a person in custody before the court to give testimony, or to be prosecuted.
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
  • Person: includes any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, or company. See California Government Code 17
  • State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Government Code 18

(Added November 8, 2016, by initiative Proposition 66, Sec. 15.)