Crump

*229 SUMMARY

This case has its origin in a leak of natural gas from a Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) storage facility in Aliso Canyon, adjacent to the residential community of Porter Ranch, that began on October 23, 2015. The gas leak continued for months, causing damage to thousands of residents of the area, and generated a great deal of litigation. In addition to civil lawsuits brought by affected residents and businesses, the District Attorney for Los Angeles County filed a misdemeanor criminal complaint against SoCalGas (defendant).

The resolution of the criminal charges by a plea agreement generated further litigation by residents of the Porter Ranch community (petitioners *230 here). In the plea agreement, defendant pleaded no contest *616 to a charge of failure to immediately report the release of a hazardous material, and obtained dismissal of other charges, including a count alleging the discharge of air contaminants. Petitioners, numbering more than 7,000, sought to set aside the plea agreement and obtain restitution under the California Constitution, which gives victims the right "to seek and secure restitution from the persons convicted of the crimes…