The House Courts and Criminal Code Committee heard HB 1225 concerning failure to yield to emergency vehicles authored by Rep. McNamara. The bill provides for a Level 6 felony when a person fails to yield to an emergency vehicle and causes serious bodily injury or death to any person operating, occupying, or affiliated with the emergency vehicle. The committee discussed an a … [Read more...] about Failure to yield to emergency vehicles
Criminal
Jail overcrowding
The House Courts and Criminal Code Committee heard HB 1346 concerning jail overcrowding authored by Rep. Frye. The bill was filed based on recommendations from the Jail Overcrowding Task Force and addressed recommendations regarding data collection for sheriffs, creating a workgroup under the Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council (JRAC) to address jail overcrowding, and for a pilot … [Read more...] about Jail overcrowding
Review of criminal penalties during the interim
The Senate Committee on Corrections and Criminal Code heard SB 14 for the review of criminal penalties in the interim for amend and vote only. The bill, authored by Sen. M. Young, Sen. Bray, and Sen. Lanane, specifies that it is the policy of the general assembly that every provision affecting criminal penalties in a bill shall be reviewed and approved by the interim study committee … [Read more...] about Review of criminal penalties during the interim
Expungement timing
The Senate Committee on Corrections and Criminal Code heard SB 47 authored by Sen. Freeman regarding expungement timing. The bill provides that if a court reduces a Class D or Level 6 felony to a misdemeanor, the five-year waiting period for expungement begins the date of the felony conviction and not on the date the felony was converted to a misdemeanor. This bill arose from a … [Read more...] about Expungement timing
Interviews and depositions of children
The Senate Judiciary Committee heard SB 206 on interviews and depositions of children in sex offense cases. The bill, authored by Sen. Messmer, creates certain procedures and protections in a defense interview or a court ordered deposition for a child less than 16 years of age who is the victim of a sex crime. The bill also provides that the term "defense counsel" includes the … [Read more...] about Interviews and depositions of children