Moral turpitude

Moral Turpitude has multiple meanings in California criminal law. The most common one is that witnesses may be impeached if they have convictions or conduct that was moral turpitudinous. Another one that is probably as critical to know is that Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude (CIMT) can have immigration consequences. Less common is that convictions of moral turpitude may have an effect on professional licensing.

Moral turpitude for impeachment purposes

Most of this table was stolen from Simons California Evidence Manual and the CEB Criminal Law Procedure and Practice book.

Moral turpitude as a standard for impeachment was created by People v. Castro (1985) 38 Cal.3d 301. It was defined as "general readiness to do evil."

Code	Crime	Admissible	Citation	Notes
HSC11350	Simple possession of heroin	No	People v. Castro (1985) 38 Cal.3d 301, 317
HSC11351	Possession for sale	Yes	People v. Castro (1985) 38 Cal.3d 301, 317
PC69	Resisting executive officer	Yes	People v. Williams (1999) 72 Cal.App.4th 1460
PC192	Voluntary manslaughter	Yes	People v. Foster (1988) 201 Cal.App.3d 20, 25 People v. Partner (1986) 180 Cal.App.3d 178, 187 People v. Parrish (1985) 170 Cal.App.3d 336, 349 350)
Former PC217	Assault with intent to commit murder	Yes	People v. Olmedo (1985) 167 Cal.App.3d 1085; People v. Sandoval (1992) 4 Cal. 4th 155
PC220(a)	Assault with intent to commit rape	Yes	People v. Bonilla (1985) 168 Cal. App. 3d 201, 205
PC240	Simple assault	No	People v. Cavazos (1985) 172 Cal. App. 3d 589, 594
PC242	Simple battery	No	People v. Mansfield (1988) 200 Cal.App.3d 82, 88; People v. Cavazos (1985) 172 Cal.App.3d 589, 594; People v. Lindsay (1989) 209 Cal.App.3d 849, 856
PC243(c)	Battery on a police officer	Yes	People v. Lindsay (1989) 209 Cal.App.3d 849
PC243(d)	Battery with serious bodily injury	No	People v. Mansfield (1988) 200 Cal.App.3d 82
PC245(a)(1)	Assault with a deadly weapon	Yes	People v. Armendariz (1985) 174 Cal.App.3d 674, 682; People v. Cavazos (1985) 172 Cal. App. 3d 589, 594; People v. Means (1986) 177 Cal. App. 3d 138, 139
PC245(a)(1)	Assault with means likely to produce GBI	Yes	People v. Elwell (1988) 206 Cal.App.3d 171
PC451	Arson	Yes	People v. Miles (1985) 172 Cal. App. 3d 474, 482
PC496	Receiving stolen property	Yes	People v. Rodriguez (1986) 177 Cal. App. 3d 174, 179, [222 Cal. Rptr. 809]
Former PC12025, PC25400	Carrying concealed firearm	Yes	People v. Robinson (2005) 37 Cal.4th 592
VC10851	Joyriding	Yes	People v. Rodriguez (1986) 177 Cal.App.3d 174, 178; People v. Lang (1989) 49 Cal.3d 991, 1011

Battery, jail inmate on non-inmate Yes People v. Williams, 169 Cal. App. 3d 951, 957, 215 Cal. Rptr. 612 (1985) No People v. Mansfield, 200 Cal. App. 3d 82, Burglary, intent to commit theft or Another felony Yes People v. Bothuel, 205 Cal. App. 3d 581, 595, 252 Cal. Rptr. 596 (1988) Child endangerment No People v. Sanders, 10 Cal. App. 4th 1268, 1273, 13 Cal. Rptr. 2d 205 (1992) Child molestation Yes People v. Massey, 192 Cal. App. 3d 819, 823, 237 Cal. Rptr. 734 (1987) Conspiracy to commit crime of moral turpitude Yes People v. Garrett, 195 Cal. App. 3d 795, 799, 241 Cal. Rptr. 10 (1987) Corporal injury to child Yes People v. Brooks, 3 Cal. App. 4th 669, 4 Cal. Rptr. 2d 570 (1992) Cultivation of Marijuana Yes People v. Gabriel, 206 Cal. App. 4th 450, 459, 141 Cal. Rptr. 3d 784 (2d Dist. 2012) , review denied, (Aug. 29, 2012) Driving under the influence of alcohol Yes People v. Forster, 29 Cal. App. 4th 1746, 1756, 35 Cal. Rptr. 2d 705 (1994) Escape without violence Yes People v. Lang, 49 Cal. 3d 991, 1010, 264 Cal. Rptr. 386, 782 P.2d 627 (1989) Escape, failure to return to custody Yes People v. Lee, 229 Cal. App. 3d 1504, 281 Cal. Rptr. 9 (1991) Failure to appear on felony bond Yes People v. Maestas, 132 Cal. App. 4th 1552, 1556–1558, 34 Cal. Rptr. 3d 503 (2005) False imprisonment Yes People v. Cornelio, 207 Cal. App. 3d 1580, 1583, 255 Cal. Rptr. 775 (1989) Flight from peace officer Yes People v. Dewey, 42 Cal. App. 4th 216, 49 Cal. Rptr. 2d 537 (1996) Forgery Yes People v. Almarez, 168 Cal. App. 3d 262, 267, 214 Cal. Rptr. 105 (1985) Hit and run with injury Yes People v. Bautista, 217 Cal. App. 3d 1, 265 Cal. Rptr. 661 (1990) Indecent exposure Yes People v. Ballard, 13 Cal. App. 4th 687, 691, 16 Cal. Rptr. 2d 624 (1993) Involuntary manslaughter No People v. Solis, 172 Cal. App. 3d 877, 883, 218 Cal. Rptr. 469 (1985) Kidnapping Yes People v. Zataray, 173 Cal. App. 3d 390, 400, 219 Cal. Rptr. 33 (1985) Maintaining place where drugs dis- Yes People v. Vera, 69 Cal. App. 4th 1100, 82 Cal. Rptr. 2d 128 (1999) Malicious mischief Yes People v. Campbell, 23 Cal. App. 4th 1488, 28 Cal. Rptr. 2d 716 (1994) Negligent discharge of firearm Yes People v. Feaster, 102 Cal. App. 4th 1084, 1093 (2002) Pimping and pandering Yes People v. Jaimez, 184 Cal. App. 3d 146, 150, 228 Cal. Rptr. 852 (1986) Possession of Assault weapon Yes People v. Gabriel, 206 Cal. App. 4th 450, 456–458, 141 Cal. Rptr. 3d 784 (2d Dist. 2012), review denied, (Aug. 29, 2012) Possession deadly weapon with intent to assault (misdemeanor) Yes People v. Rivera, 107 Cal. App. 4th 1374, 1378–1982, 1933 Cal. Rptr. 2d 176 (2003) Possession of drugs, simple No People v. Castro, 38 Cal.3d 301, 317, 211 Cal. Rptr. 719, 696 P.2d 111 (1985) Possession, firearm by felon Yes People v. Robinson, 199 Cal. App. 4th 707, 712–715, 131 Cal. Rptr. 3d 177 (2d Dist. 2011), review denied, (Jan. 4, 2012); People v. Littrel, 185 Cal. App. 3d 699, 230 Cal. Rptr. 83 (1986) Possession, illegal firearm Yes People v. Robinson, 37 Cal. 4th 592, 625–626, 36 Cal. Rptr. 3d 760, 124 P.3d 363 (2005);People v. Garrett, 195 Cal. App. 3d 795, 241 Cal. Rptr. 10 (1987) Possession, marijuana for sale Yes People v. Standard, 181 Cal. App. 3d 431, 435, 226 Cal. Rptr. 62 (1986) Possession, narcotics for sale Yes People v. Castro, 38 Cal.3d 301, 317, 211 Cal. Rptr. 719, 696 P.2d 111 (1985) Rape Yes People v. Muldrow, 202 Cal. App. 3d 636, 248 Cal. Rptr. 891 (1988) Robbery Yes People v. Burns, 189 Cal. App. 3d 734, 739, 234 Cal. Rptr. 547 (1987) Sale of drugs Yes People v. Navarez, 169 Cal. App. 3d 936, 215 Cal. Rptr. 519 (1985) Sexual Battery (Misdemeanor) Yes People. v. Chavez, 84 Cal. App. 4th 25, 100 Cal. Rptr. 2d 680 (2000) Shooting at inhabited dwelling/ vehicle Yes People v. White, 4 Cal. App. 4th 1299, 6 Cal. Rptr. 2d 259 (1992) SIMCAEVID § 3:56 Page 3 Simons California Evidence Manual § 3:56 (2012 ed.) © 2013 Thomson Reuters. No Claim to Orig. US Gov. Works. Spousal battery Yes People v. Rodriguez, 5 Cal. App. 4th 1398, 7 Cal. Rptr. 2d 495 (1992) Statutory rape Yes People v. Fulcher, 194 Cal. App. 3d 749, 754, 236 Cal. Rptr. 845 (1987) Statutory rape No People v. Flanagan, 185 Cal. App. 3d 764, 773, 230 Cal. Rptr. 64 (1986) Terrorist threats Yes People v. Thornton, 3 Cal. App. 4th 419, 4 Cal. Rptr. 2d 519 (1992) Vandalism (felony) Yes People v. Campbell, 23 Cal. App. 4th 1488, 1493, 28 Cal. Rptr. 2d 716 (1994) Vandalism (misdemeanor) Yes People v. Muniz, 131 Cal. Rptr. 3d 504 (Cal. App. 4th Dist. 2011), review granted and opinion superseded, 133 Cal. Rptr. 3d 855, 264 P.3d 821 (Cal. 2011). Voluntary manslaughter Yes People v. Foster, 201 Cal. App. 3d 20, 25, 246 Cal. Rptr. 855 (1988) |}

Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude for Immigration Purposes

Moral turpitude refers generally to conduct which is inherently base, vile, or depraved, and contrary to the accepted rules of morality and the duties owed between persons or to society in general. Moral turpitude has been defined as an act which is per se morally reprehensible and intrinsically wrong, or malum in se, so it is the nature of the act itself and not the statutory prohibition of it which renders a crime one of moral turpitude. Matter of Fualaau, 21 I. & N. Dec. 475, 1996 WL 413576 (BIA 1996)

Most of this was lifted from the Immigrants Legal Resource Center chart, but some was also taken from Norton Tooby's wonderful resources and from the Ninth Circuit's immigration outline.

Code	Crime	Categorical match	Modified Categorical Match	Citation	Notes
PC32	Accessory after the fact	No	Never	Navarro-Lopez v. Gonzales, 503 F.3d 1063 (9th Cir. 2007)(en banc)
PC148.9	False ID to officer	No	Maybe	Blanco v. Mukasey, 518 F.3d 714, 718-20 (9th Cir. 2008)
PC207	Kidnapping	No	Maybe	Castrijon-Garcia v. Holder, 704 F.3d 1205 (9th Cir. 2013)
PC211	Robbery	Yes	N/A	Mendoza v. Holder, 623 F.3d 1299, 1303-4 (9th Cir. 2010)
PC236	False imprisonment	No	Maybe	Saavedra-Figueroa, 625 F.3d 621 (9th Cir. 2010)
PC422	Criminal threats	Yes	N/A	Latter-Singh v. Holder, 668 F.3d 1156, 1161-63 (9th Cir. 2012)
PC484	Theft	Yes	N/A	Juarez v. Muaksey, 530 F.3d 1020 (9th Cir. 2008)
PC496	Receiving stolen property	No	Maybe	Castillo-Cruz v. Holder, 581 F.3d 1154 (9th Cir. 2009)
PC532a	Credit card fraud	Yes	N/A	Tijani v. Holder, 628 F.3d 1071 (9th Cir. 2010)
VC20001	Hit and run with injury	No	Maybe	Cerezo v. Mukasey, 512 F.3d 1163 (9th Cir. 2008)

Moral Turpitude for Licensing Purposes

PC245 (In re Rothrock (1940) 16 Cal.2d 449, 459 [106 P.2d 907, 131 A.L.R. 226]; In re Strick (1983) 34 Cal.3d 891, 902 [196 Cal. Rptr. 509, 671 P.2d 1251].)