Camron,

I understand what you are saying, but I am curious, does the CA law specific to officials lessen or increase the penalty for assault.

My point is, why the need for a special law. Officials are people, regardless of what they did, do, are paid to do, or put themselves into, if they get assaulted, I think the charges should be pursued just as if it happened out on the street.

My real concern is that the CA law lessens the penalty.

I relate this to the athletes on the playing field. Fights break out all the time in sports, but only the really bad ones make their way to the court system. So many of these professional sports organizations are saying that its OK for a little fighting, we might suspend you, but no court case.

I often wonder if players would pursue charges on any punch thrown in a professional game if it would go very far. I think the general feeling is, hey, its part of the game.

Now extend that to the officials, hey, its part of the game for you to be beratted, assaulted, mocked, etc. That's BS in my opinion.

So I really am curious, do the laws specific to officials weaken or strengthen the charges.

These law usually increase penalty in some way....either by increasing the minimum sentence, making a sentence mandatory, or increase the level of the crime (misdemeanor level...which has implications on the sentencing)