Cal. PEN § 952

This is the official text of Cal. PEN § 952, part of California’s Penal Code — defines crimes and sets criminal procedure in California.

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Official statutory text

In charging an offense, each count shall contain, and shall be sufficient if it contains in substance, a statement that the accused has committed some public offense therein specified. Such statement may be made in ordinary and concise language without any technical averments or any allegations of matter not essential to be proved. It may be in the words of the enactment describing the offense or declaring the matter to be a public offense, or in any words sufficient to give the accused notice of the offense of which he is accused. In charging theft it shall be sufficient to allege that the defendant unlawfully took the labor or property of another.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

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