Overview

• An investigation flagged about 400 vehicular manslaughter cases unreported by California courts from 2019 to 2024, and over 275 convictions have since been submitted to the DMV.
• Court administrators attribute the breakdown to a mix of human error and software bugs in their case management systems.
• State law mandates a minimum three-year revocation after a felony vehicular manslaughter conviction, but delayed reporting has shortened enforcement for some drivers.
• Los Angeles, Kern and Yuba counties have begun offering staff training, instituting manual reviews and upgrading digital systems to ensure timely transmission of convictions.
• Safety advocates warn that the long-standing communication gap between courts, law enforcement and the DMV has allowed dangerous drivers to remain on the road