California governor signs bill changing sex offender law

SACRAMENTO (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed a law that would give judges a say on whether to list someone as a sex offender for having oral or anal sex with a minor.

The bill would expand the discretion currently granted judges in statutory rape cases and was promoted as bringing fairness under the law to LGBTQ defendants.

The current law, in place for decades, permits judges to decide whether a man should be placed on California's sex offender registry if he had voluntary intercourse with someone 14 to 17 years old and was no more than 10 years older than the person.

But t...