SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed legislation inspired by the murder of 8-year-old Madyson “Maddy” Middleton, changing how California courts decide whether to continue holding people in secure youth treatment facilities when they are considered dangerous to the public.
Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, D-Santa Cruz, authored Assembly Bill 1902 after reviewing the legal issues raised during the extended-detention proceedings involving Adrian Gonzalez.
The law takes effect Jan. 1.
Maddy Middleton
Middleton’s body was found in Santa Cruz in 2015 after she was sexually assaulted and killed by Gonzalez, who was 15 at the time. Changes in California’s juvenile justice system led to Gonzalez’s case being handled in juvenile court in 2021. He was 21 when he was sent to a secure youth treatment facility in Sonoma County.
In 2024, the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office sought to extend his detention, arguing that he still posed a danger to the public. It was the first extended-detention hearing conducted under Section 876 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code.
A jury determined that Gonzalez was not safe to release.
“I approached this bill first and foremost as a mother and a member of the Santa Cruz Community,” Pellerin said. “Shortly after the conclusion of the extension detention hearing, I met with jurors who made the difficult decision that he was not safe to be released. I spoke with the District Attorney’s office about the challenges they faced, and I heard from community members whose grief and trauma were brought back to the surface all over again.”
Under existing law, county probation officials can seek continued detention when a person nearing the end of a court-ordered placement is believed to remain physically dangerous to the public. The proceedings are intended for rare cases in which rehabilitation has not been achieved.
AB 1902 requires a person to remain in custody while the court considers the petition. It also establishes timelines for hearings and trials, applies criminal discovery rules to the proceedings and allows continuances only when a party shows good cause.
The law increases the maximum period of continued detention from two years to three years. In setting the period, courts must consider evidence presented at trial and a clinical assessment from the person’s treatment team.
The person is entitled to a jury trial, and a finding that continued detention is necessary must be unanimous and proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell sponsored the legislation.
“We are grateful that Governor Newsom stands with crime victims and their families by signing AB 1902 into law,” Rosell said. “It is a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish when advocates, community members, and policymakers come together. We thank Assemblymember Pellerin for authoring this bill and shepherding it through the legislative process. We are proud to have helped make this progress possible.”
The bill was supported locally by the Santa Cruz Police Department, Scotts Valley Police Department, Walnut Avenue Family & Women’s Center and Santa Cruz County Supervisor Kim De Serpa. Statewide supporters included the Peace Officers Research Association of California, California District Attorneys Association and California Police Chiefs Association.
Middleton’s mother, Laura Jordan, said the change will give families more time between hearings.
“For over a decade, I have lived through hearing after hearing, forced to relive the worst details of my daughter›s death in court every two years,” Jordan said. “For families like mine, AB 1902 is the difference between constantly bracing for the next hearing and finally having room to breathe. This bill also strengthens the extension detention process in significant ways.”
Jordan said the new law cannot reverse what happened to her daughter but could lessen the burden on other victims’ families.
“Newsom’s signature won’t undo what happened to Madyson, but it will spare other families some of what mine has endured,” she said.
Santa Cruz community organizer Shawna Spaulding said a grassroots coalition led by Friends of Maddy sent more than 800 letters to Sacramento in support of the legislation.
“The Governor signing this legislation means everything to our community—it transforms a local tragedy into a shield of safety for families statewide, proving that the voices of citizens can successfully fix the law to protect the vulnerable,” Spaulding said.
Pellerin said the legislation is intended to clarify the legal process while recognizing the continuing effect violent crimes have on victims’ families and communities.
“I authored this bill because of the impact Maddy’s case had on our community,” Pellerin said. “Working on this bill over the last year highlighted that long after the headlines are gone, the pain surrounding the most unimaginable loss remains.”