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DIVISION 3.5. COSTS IN CIVIL ACTIONS RESULTING FROM ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDINGS 800›PART 1. DEFINITIONS 810-811.9›ARTICLE 3. Liability of Public Employees 820-823

§ 820.21

California Government Code · 2026-09 edition · updated 2026-09-27 · California

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, the civil immunity of juvenile court social workers, child protection workers, and other public employees authorized to initiate or conduct investigations or proceedings pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 200) of Part 1 of Division 2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code shall not extend to any of the following, if committed with malice:

(1) Perjury.

(2) Fabrication of evidence.

(3) Failure to disclose known exculpatory evidence.

(4) Obtaining testimony by duress, as defined in Section 1569 of the Civil Code, fraud, as defined in either Section 1572 or Section 1573 of the Civil Code, or undue influence, as defined in Section 1575 of the Civil Code.

(b) As used in this section, “malice” means conduct that is intended by the person described in subdivision (a) to cause injury to the plaintiff or despicable conduct that is carried on by the person described in subdivision (a) with a willful and conscious disregard of the rights or safety of others.

(Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 977, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1996.)

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California Government Code

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