UFC Referee and Former Officer Backs California Self-Defense Protections

SACRAMENTO — Retired UFC referee “Big” John McCarthy presented on April 28 before the Assembly Judiciary Committee in favor of Assembly Bill 2584. The bill, introduced by Assemblyman Heath Flora of the 9th District, would clarify when Californians can lawfully defend themselves or others from an imminent attack and would shield them from civil lawsuits for reasonable actions taken to stop a crime. It also prevents a person’s training or fighting background from being used against them in court.

McCarthy served 23 years as a Los Angeles police officer and taught use-of-force and deadly-force tactics to recruits. He has officiated UFC bouts since the promotion’s early tournaments in the 1990s. Drawing on his dual background, McCarthy described how fear of lawsuits stops many people from helping victims of attacks. He estimated roughly 75 percent of bystanders hesitate due to legal concerns.

“You’re gonna have about 75% that are going to be concerned about, ‘Am I going to get in trouble?’ ‘Is this going to cause a negative effect on my life?’ And with that, you have hesitation. And with hesitation, you can have people get seriously hurt,” McCarthy told the committee. He contrasted the larger group with roughly 10 to 15 percent of people who will intervene regardless of the law and another 10 to 15 percent who will never act. McCarthy argued the middle group needs reassurance that the state will not punish them for doing the right thing.

“I want someone, if my daughter’s out there, my son’s out there, I want them to step up for him. I don’t want them to pick up their phone and start filming,” McCarthy said. “This is a simple bill. This is the right bill. It’s the right thing that we want the citizens of California to do. […] I don’t believe in violence. I believe in sport, but violence on the street has no place. But we do want our people to do something if they see it.”

Flora, who represents communities including Manteca and Ripon, opened the presentation and later thanked the committee for the discussion. He noted parallels with existing Good Samaritan laws protecting trained professionals acting within their scope of practice.

Committee Chair Ash Kalra, who represents the 25th District, acknowledged McCarthy’s expertise in both law enforcement and martial arts. However, he expressed concern that the proposal could create confusion with longstanding self-defense laws. He added that current civil and self-defense statutes appear adequate but invited continued conversation, including possible extensions of Good Samaritan principles to personal protection scenarios.

Assembly Bill 2584 passed the Public Safety Committee with bipartisan support earlier in the spring and was re-referred to the Judiciary Committee on April 6. The appearance on April 28 was listed as presentation only, with no vote scheduled. Flora indicated the bill would be reintroduced in the 2027-2028 legislative session to allow additional stakeholder input. The full text of the bill is available here.