Now that it’s 2020, a slew of new laws are set to go into effect this year, with many having already kicked in on January 1, 2020. The LA Times published a helpful guide to a number of the more notable laws, so we thought we’d take a look at some of the most relevant laws to our readers. We broke these laws down into those that affect criminal defense, business law, and personal injury.
Criminal Defense
There were quite a few new laws relating to justice reforms, including one prohibiting the state of California from signing new contracts with for-profit prisons and another which ends inmate copays for medical services. Finally, it is now illegal for individuals who are banned from gun ownership in other states to possess guns in California.
Business Law
We’ve covered California’s Assembly Bill 5 before on this blog— that’s the one that reclassifies many independent contractors as employees. Uber and Postmates both just announced major lawsuits challenging the validity of the law.
The minimum wage in California is increasing by $1 to $12 an hour for businesses with 25 or fewer workers and $13 an hour for larger businesses. Also, employers are now prohibited from making forced arbitration a condition of employment.
Personal Injury
There isn’t much in the way of new laws affecting personal injury law with one notable exception. Californians now have explicit civil cause to go to court if someone uses their likeness to create faked pornographic videos or images, a disturbing trend that has accompanied the rise of so-called “deepfakes,” a technology that allows people to create highly convincing digital fake.
Legal Services for 2020 and Beyond
If you’re feeling confused by evolving state and federal laws, the Law Offices of Brian A. Newman have your back. Our legal expertise is always up to date, so you’ll always have the representation you need. We offer comprehensive criminal defense, business law, and personal injury attorney services for Torrance and Los Angeles County. Call (424) 254-5186 today to schedule a complimentary consultation for your case.
