Article 18 - Criminal Penalties

California Food and Agricultural Code — §§ 55901-55906

Sections (8)

Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 768, Sec. 4.5. Effective January 1, 2001.

(a)Except as specified in Section 55902, any misdemeanor which is prescribed by this article is punishable by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) or more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.

(b)For a violation of the offense described in subdivision (a), the department may recover investigative costs, excluding attorneys’ fees and administrative overhead, for those charges where there has been a conviction in a court of law, or a court-supervised settlement has been reached. Nothing in this section allows the department to recover investigative costs for an administrative licensing action or any action that has not been filed in a court of law.

(c)Any person or entity responsible for investigative costs under this section shall be allowed to audit the department’s investigative costs. The audit must be performed by a third-party certified public accountant and paid for by the person or entity requesting the audit. The department shall promulgate regulations to implement this subdivision by June 1, 2002.

§ 55902

Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 942, Sec. 9.

It is a misdemeanor for any person subject to this chapter to act as a processor or agent without a license, and is punishable by a fine of not less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year, or by both the fine and imprisonment.

§ 55902.2

Added by Stats. 1991, Ch. 733, Sec. 3.

It is a misdemeanor for any person subject to this chapter to pay license fees in an amount less than that amount established under subdivision (b) of Section 55861. Any person who pays less than the amount established under subdivision (b) of Section 55861 for two or more consecutive years shall pay to the director treble the amount of the license fees due pursuant to this chapter.

§ 55902.5

Added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 942, Sec. 9.5.

It is a misdemeanor for any person licensed as a cash buying processor to buy or otherwise take title to, or possession of, any farm product from a producer of the product, except by cash payment of the full agreed price to the producer at the time of obtaining possession or control.

§ 55903

Enacted by Stats. 1967, Ch. 15.

It is a misdemeanor for any person that is subject to this chapter to willfully refuse to pay for any farm product which such person purchases within 20 days after the date of the delivery of such product by the producer if he has the ability to pay and demand for payment is made, except in the case of a bona fide dispute, unless the time of payment is otherwise agreed upon in writing, or the payment of the purchase price is secured other than by a lien.

§ 55904

Enacted by Stats. 1967, Ch. 15.

It is a misdemeanor for any person that is subject to this chapter to falsely deny the amount, or the validity, of any producer’s claim, or that it is due, with the intent to secure for himself, his employer or other person, any discount upon such indebtedness, or with the intent to annoy, harass, oppress, hinder, delay, or defraud the person to whom such indebtedness is due.

§ 55905

Enacted by Stats. 1967, Ch. 15.

It is a misdemeanor for any person that is subject to this chapter to sell, hypothecate, sequester with intent to defraud any producer, or in any manner place or attempt to place any product upon which liens in favor of any producer have attached, beyond the control, reach, or recovery of any such claimant.

§ 55906

Enacted by Stats. 1967, Ch. 15.

It is a misdemeanor for any person that is subject to this chapter to fail to comply with this chapter.