A notary public carelessly leaves their official seal unattended on a public counter, and it is used fraudulently. Because the notary willfully failed to keep the seal under their direct and exclusive control, what is the criminal classification?

AI Explanation

Failure to Secure Seal Penalty. According to CA Gov. Code section 8228.1(a), any notary public who willfully fails to keep the seal of the notary public under their direct and exclusive control, or who surrenders it to any unauthorized person, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.