2016 -- H 8172

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LC005863

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE--COURTS--SUPERIOR COURT

DIVERSION

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Craven, McEntee, Shekarchi, Lombardi, and

     Date Introduced: May 05, 2016

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Chapter 8-2 of the General Laws entitled "Superior Court" is hereby

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amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     8-2-39.3. Superior court diversion. – In accordance with §8-6-2, the superior court may

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create, with the approval of the supreme court, rules for a superior court diversion program. The

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presiding justice may assign a justice or magistrate to administer the diversion program, in which

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the defendant enters a plea to the pending matter and agrees to written contractual conditions of

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diversion with the justice or magistrate, including reporting to the court as instructed for reviews,

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for a defined period of time. Contractual conditions may include, but are not limited to,

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compliance with counseling, community service, and restitution obligations. Upon successful

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completion of the required time period, the person shall be exonerated of the charges for which

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the sentence was deferred and records relating to the criminal complaint, information or

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indictment shall be sealed pursuant to the provisions of §12-1-12. Further, if any record of the

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criminal complaint, information or indictment has been entered into a docket or alphabetical

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index, whether in writing or electronic information storage or other data compilation system, all

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references to the identity of the person charged by the complaint shall be sealed.

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     SECTION 2. Section 12-7-12 of the General Laws in Chapter 12-7 entitled "Arrest" is

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hereby amended to read as follows:

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     12-7-12. Release of arrested person by officer in charge of police station Release of

 

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arrested person by officer. -- (a) The officer in charge of any police station may shall consider

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the release of any person in his or her station who has been arrested without a warrant:

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      (1) Without requiring the person to appear in court, when the officer is satisfied that

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there is no ground for making criminal complaint against the person or when the person has been

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arrested for drunkenness but in the judgment of the officer need not be brought before a

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magistrate; or

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      (2) If the arrest is for a misdemeanor, upon that person signing an agreement to appear in

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court at a designated time.

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     (b) Any officer with custody of a person who has been arrested or detained without a

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warrant may recognize that the person suffers from a serious mental illness and may release and

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refer the person to the nearest appropriate inpatient mental health facility or outpatient treatment

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program.

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     SECTION 3. Section 12-10-12 of the General Laws in Chapter 12-10 entitled

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"Preliminary Proceedings in District Courts" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     12-10-12. Filing of complaints. -- (a) Subject to any other provisions of law relative to

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the filing of complaints for particular crimes, any judge of the district court or superior court may

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place on file any complaint in a criminal case other than a complaint for the commission of a

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felony or a complaint against a person who has been convicted of a felony or a private complaint.

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The court may in its discretion require, as a condition of the filing, the performance of services

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for the public good or may attach any other conditions to it that the court shall determine;

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provided, in cases where the court has ordered restitution totals less than two hundred dollars

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($200) to an injured party pursuant to this section or § 12-19-34, the court shall require that full

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restitution be made at the time of sentencing if the court determines that the defendant has the

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present ability to make the full restitution.

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      (b) Express conditions of any filing in accordance with this section that the defendant

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shall at all times during the one year keep the peace and be of good behavior and shall have paid

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all outstanding court-imposed or court-related fees, fines, costs, assessments, charges, and/or any

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other monetary obligations unless reduced or waived by order of the court. A violation of these

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express conditions, or any other condition set by the court, shall may be deemed a violation of the

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filing and the matter that was filed may be resurrected by the court, or the court may impose a

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sanction. A determination of whether a violation has occurred shall be made by the court in

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accordance with the procedures relating to a violation of probation, §§ §12-19-9 and 12-19-14.

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      (c) In the event the complaint was originally filed under this section subsequent to the

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defendant's plea of guilty or nolo contendere to the charges, the court, if it finds there to have

 

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been a violation but does not impose a sanction, may sentence the defendant. In the event the

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court filed the complaint under this section while the defendant maintained a plea of not guilty, if

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the court finds there to have been a violation but does not impose a sanction, it may proceed to

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the further disposition of the complaint according to law. If no action is taken on the complaint

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for a period of one year following the filing, the complaint shall be automatically expunged. No

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criminal record shall result; provided, that in any civil action for a tort, a plea of guilty or a

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finding of guilty should be admissible notwithstanding the fact that the complaint has been filed.

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      (d) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, in the event a complaint for

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a crime involving domestic violence was originally filed under this section subsequent to the

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defendant's plea of guilty or nolo contendere to the charges, the court, if it finds there to have

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been a violation, may sentence the defendant. In the event the court filed the complaint for a

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crime involving domestic violence under this section while the defendant maintained a plea of not

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guilty, if the court finds there to have been a violation, it may proceed to the further disposition of

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the complaint for a crime involving domestic violence according to law. If, for a period of one

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year after the date of filing, the defendant is not charged with a violation pursuant to subsection

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(b) of this section, the filed complaint for the crime involving domestic violence shall be

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automatically quashed and shall not be resurrected. If, for a period of three (3) years after the date

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of filing, the defendant is not charged with a crime involving domestic violence, or if so charged,

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is acquitted or the complaint is dismissed, all records relating to the filed complaint for a crime

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involving domestic violence shall be expunged without the requirement of filing a motion

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pursuant to chapter 1.3 of title 12. No criminal records shall result, unless in any civil action for a

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tort, in which a plea of guilty or a finding of guilty is admissible notwithstanding the fact that the

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complaint has been filed. Provided, however, that in sentencing a defendant for a crime involving

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domestic violence of which the defendant was charged within three (3) years after the filing of a

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prior crime involving domestic violence to which the defendant pleaded guilty or nolo

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contendere, the court may take the plea into consideration.

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      (e) The defendant shall be advised that any and all bail money relating to a case that

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remains on deposit and is not claimed at the time of expungement shall be escheated to the state's

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general treasury in accordance with chapter 12 of title 8.

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     SECTION 4. Sections 12-13-24 and 12-13-24.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 12-13

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entitled "Bail and Recognizance" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     12-13-24. Confidentiality of pretrial services program records. -- (a) Information

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supplied by a defendant to a representative of the pretrial services program during the defendant's

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initial interview or subsequent contacts, or information obtained by the pretrial services program

 

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as a result of the interview or subsequent contacts, shall be deemed confidential and shall not be

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subject to subpoena or to disclosure without the written consent of the defendant except in the

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following circumstances:

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      (1) Information relevant to the imposition of conditions of release shall be presented to

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the court on a standardized form when the court is considering what conditions of release to

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impose;

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      (2) Information furnished by the defendant to the pretrial services program and recorded

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on a completed interview form shall be furnished to law enforcement officials upon request only

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if the defendant fails to appear in court when required, after notice to the defendant or the

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defendant's attorney of record;

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      (3) Information concerning compliance with any conditions of release imposed by the

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court shall be furnished to the court upon its request for consideration or modification of

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conditions of release or of sentencing or of probation;

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      (4) Information relevant to sentencing or probation shall be furnished to the court upon

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its request for consideration in imposing sentence or probation;

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      (5) At its discretion, the court may permit the probation officer, for the purpose of

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preparing the presentence investigation report, and the defense attorney to inspect the completed

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interview form; and

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     (6) In felony cases, completed pre-arraignment reports shall be provided to the superior

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court; and

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      (6)(7) Any person conducting an evaluation of the pretrial release program may have

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access to all completed interview forms upon order from the supreme court.

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      (b) At the beginning of the defendant's initial interview with a representative of the

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pretrial services program, the defendant shall be advised of the above uses of information

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supplied by him or her or obtained as a result of information supplied by him or her.

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     12-13-24.1. Pre-trial services unit. -- (a) Creation of unit; definitions. - There is created

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within the district court a pre-trial services unit to provide pre-arraignment and post-arraignment

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services to defendants. These services shall include, but not be limited to: bail information and

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screening,

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     (1) "Pre-arraignment report" may include:

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     (i) The results of a risk screen;

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     (ii) For a defendant who scores as high risk on the risk screen, additional validated

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screens for mental health and substance use needs, to determine whether more in-depth

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assessment is needed post-arraignment; and

 

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     (iii) For a defendant charged with a domestic violence offense under §12-29-2, and who

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has prior domestic violence offenses or other indications of risk, a lethality or dangerousness

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assessment.

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     (2) "Post-arraignment service" includes completion of the pre-arraignment report, a post-

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arraignment report, if necessary, and monitoring of defendants released on conditions that are

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informed by the pre-arraignment report, bail including substance abuse treatment referrals and

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testing, referrals to the home confinement program, employment referrals, and any other referrals

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that may be necessary to carry out the intent of this section.

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     (3) "Risk screen" means a validated, empirically-based pretrial risk tool composed of a

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brief set of questions that may be answered without interviewing the defendant and are designed

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to predict failure to appear and risk to re-offend.

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      (b) Bail evaluation Pre-arraignment report. - Whenever any person shall be taken into

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custody by any peace officer for the purpose of bringing that person before a court for

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arraignment or any other proceeding which may result in that person being detained pending a

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final adjudication of the charge, if the person is charged with a felony, or a misdemeanor

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domestic violence offense under §12-29-2 and has prior domestic violence offenses or other

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indications of risk, the pretrial services unit shall, time permitting, prepare, a judicial officer may

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cause to be conducted a pre-arraignment report and any or post-arraignment screening of the

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accused deemed necessary by the court or the pretrial services unit, and shall obtain any relevant

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information, records and documents that may be useful to the judicial officer in determining the

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form and type of recognizance and conditions placed on the defendant.

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      (c) Delivery of report. - The pre-arraignment report of the pre-arraignment or and any

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post-arraignment screening shall be immediately delivered to the judicial officer before whom the

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accused shall be brought for the purpose of determining the form and conditions of recognizance

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and shall contain the information set forth in subsection (d) of this section.

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      (d) Form of report. - The report of the pre-arraignment or post-arraignment screening

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shall contain the following information regarding the accused:

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      (1) Name and address;

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      (2) Date of birth;

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      (3) Marital status;

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      (4) Names and addresses of dependents;

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      (5) Social security number;

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      (6) Present employment including place of employment, position held and length of

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employment;

 

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      (7) Whether or not the accused is under the care of a licensed physician or on any

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medication prescribed by a licensed physician;

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      (8) Education;

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      (9) Prior criminal record;

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      (10) Prior court appearances;

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      (11) Ties to the community; and

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      (12) Any other information that may be required to make a determination on the amount

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and conditions of recognizance or bail.

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      (e) Confidentiality of communications. - The accused shall be advised orally and in a

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written waiver form for the signature of the accused, that he or she has the right to remain silent

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and may voluntarily decline to respond to any or all questions that may be put by representatives

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of the pre-trial services unit. Communications between the accused and representatives of the pre-

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trial services unit shall be considered confidential pursuant to § 12-13-24.

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     SECTION 5. Section 1 of this act shall take effect upon issuance of applicable rules by

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the supreme court. Section 4 of this act shall take effect on January 1, 2017. The remaining

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sections of this act shall take effect upon passage and shall be applicable to all cases pending as of

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the effective date.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE--COURTS--SUPERIOR COURT

DIVERSION

***

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     This act would allow the presiding justice of the superior court, with the approval of the

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supreme court, to create a superior court diversion program. The program would allow the court

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to administer rules whereby defendants would participate in substance abuse screening,

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community service, counseling and any other reasonable conditions, and upon the completion of

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which, charge(s) would be dismissed and the records and indices of arrest expunged. It would

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also require restitution be paid in full, if the defendant has the ability to pay, upon filing a

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complaint pursuant to §12-10-12. This act would further require an officer in charge to consider

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releasing a person who has been arrested for a misdemeanor conditioned on a summons to appear

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and would permit an officer to release a suspect with serious mental health issues and refer them

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to the nearest inpatient or outpatient facility. This act would also alter the pretrial services unit by

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requiring risk assessments and require additional risk screens for those with a high risk of re-

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offending or those with past crimes of domestic violence.

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     Section 1 of this act would take effect upon issuance of applicable rules by the supreme

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court. Section 4 of this act would take effect on January 1, 2017. The remaining sections of this

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act would take effect upon passage and would be applicable to all cases pending as of the

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effective date.

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