CA AB1615

Reduces peremptory challenges in criminal cases with sentences of one year or less from 10 to 6 for defendants and 4 to 2 for jointly tried defendants, effective January 1, 2017 through January 1, 2021, with Judicial Council required to study and report by January 1, 2020.

Creates Board of Juvenile Hearings with 3 commissioners (5-year terms) to assume juvenile hearing powers previously held by Board of Parole Hearings, including initial case reviews, annual reviews, and discharge hearings for youth in Division of Juvenile Facilities.

Establishes Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) pilot program in up to 3 jurisdictions to divert low-level drug and prostitution offenders to social services instead of prosecution, with $15,000,000 appropriation and independent evaluation required by January 1, 2020.

Extends through January 1, 2020 provisions allowing transfer of sentenced inmates to county jails, agreements with private entities for secure housing capacity, community correctional centers, and interstate transfers without inmate consent.

Creates Major League Sporting Event Raffle Fund and authorizes $1,005,000 loan from General Fund to support Department of Justice enforcement activities related to regulated raffles by major sports organizations.