Prosecutors Push Legislation to Combat Human Trafficking

Prosecutors from around the state spoke out this week in support of a bill -- drafted by the Riverside County District Attorney's Office -- aimed at cracking down on human traffickers while at the same time saving taxpayer dollars.

"Senate Bill 939 ... will create a unified process for conducting a single trial related to all human trafficking and related offenses that may occur in multiple jurisdictions," said Riverside County District Attorney Paul Zellerbach.

"It thwarts efforts by organized criminals to exploit jurisdictional boundaries," he said. "The bill also will allow for an efficient use of resources and, most importantly, protects the rights of victims of human trafficking."

Zellerbach joined district attorneys from Alameda, Orange and San Diego counties, as well as Sen. Marty Block, D-San Diego on Monday, who introduced the bill in the state Senate, for a news briefing at the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.

Under the proposed legislation, human traffickers who commit crimes in multiple jurisdictions could be charged and prosecuted in one county, rather than tried in every county they've committed an alleged trafficking-related offense, including sex-for-money operations and forced labor.

The bill, which was slated for a committee hearing Tuesday, would amend a penal code section to replicate the process used to prosecute serial perpetrators, such as child molesters and rapists.

San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis noted that SB 939 would "expand protection and spare victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation the trauma of facing their traffickers in multiple trials and re- living a nightmare in court over and over."

Holding criminal proceedings at one time, in one place, would also net savings to taxpayers, according to supporters of the legislation.

"Human trafficking is a heinous crime," Block said. "Attacking the financially lucrative criminal enterprise cannot be fought one jurisdiction at a time. Human trafficking must be fought collectively: pooling our resources and intelligence and multiplying the impact of every effort. That's what this bill is about."

Since the founding of the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force in 2010, 160 trafficking-related investigations have been conducted, according to the D.A.'s office.

The number of prosecutions was not immediately known.

– City News Service.