The House Courts and Criminal Code Committee heard SB 47 on expungement issues sponsored by Rep. J. Young. The bill provides: if a court reduces a Class D or Level 6 felony to a misdemeanor, the five-year waiting period for expungement begins on the date of the felony conviction and not on the date the felony was converted to a misdemeanor; a procedure for the automatic … [Read more...] about Expungement issues
Sexual assault victims' rights
The House Courts and Criminal Code Committee heard SB 146 on sexual assault victims' rights sponsored by Reps. Schaibley and DeVon. The bill provides rights to sexual assault victims, including the right to speak with a sexual assault counselor before a forensic medical exam or during the course of an investigation, the collection of sexual assault forensic evidence, the analysis of … [Read more...] about Sexual assault victims' rights
Recovery of litigation expenses
The House Judiciary Committee heard SB 199 on recovery of litigation expenses, sponsored by Rep. Steuerwald. The bill provides that attorney's fees may be awarded against a governmental entity in a case where a court finds that the claim brought by the governmental entity was frivolous, unreasonable, or groundless, but provides that the application of the law to governmental … [Read more...] about Recovery of litigation expenses
Depositions of children
For amend and vote, the House Judiciary Committee heard SB 206 on depositions of children, sponsored by Reps. Torr and Schaibley. The bill defines "deposition" to include interviews, recorded statements, and depositions; creates certain procedures and protections in a deposition for a child less than 16 years of age who is the victim of a sex crime; and provides that the term … [Read more...] about Depositions of children
Search warrants
The House Courts and Criminal Code Committee heard SB 209 on search warrants sponsored by Rep. McNamara. The bill provides that a warrant authorizing a search, testing, or other analysis of an item is deemed executed when the item is seized. It also provides that a warrant return is sufficient if the return contains a statement indicating that the item was seized by a law … [Read more...] about Search warrants