Bill Text: NY S00025 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Regulates the use of informants by the prosecuting attorney and law enforcement personnel; requires law enforcement personnel to submit an annual report to the department of state with statistical information relating to their use of informants.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-08 - REFERRED TO CODES [S00025 Detail]
Download: New_York-2013-S00025-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 25 2013-2014 Regular Sessions I N S E N A T E (PREFILED) January 9, 2013 ___________ Introduced by Sen. ESPAILLAT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes AN ACT to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to the regu- lation of the use of informants THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. The criminal procedure law is amended by adding a new 2 section 60.77 to read as follows: 3 S 60.77 RULES OF EVIDENCE; USE OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANTS. 4 1. WHENEVER A PROSECUTING ATTORNEY PLANS TO USE AN INFORMANT TO TESTI- 5 FY AGAINST A DEFENDANT, THE ATTORNEY FOR SUCH DEFENDANT SHALL BE 6 SUPPLIED WITH: 7 A. THE COMPLETE CRIMINAL RECORD OF THE INFORMANT; 8 B. ANY TESTIMONY OR INFORMATION THE INFORMANT HAS PROVIDED OR HAS 9 PROMISED TO PROVIDE FOR ANY LEGAL ACTION; 10 C. ALL STATEMENTS MADE BY THE INFORMANT ABOUT THE SPECIFIC LEGAL 11 ACTION IN QUESTION; AND 12 D. ALL PROMISES, COMPROMISES, OR PROTECTIONS OFFERED BY THE PROSECUT- 13 ING ATTORNEY TO THE INFORMANT IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS OR HER TESTIMONY. THIS 14 SHALL ALSO INCLUDE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT CRIMES COMMITTED BY THE INFOR- 15 MANT FOR WHICH CHARGES WILL NOT BE BROUGHT IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS OR HER 16 TESTIMONY. 17 2. THE ATTORNEY FOR THE DEFENDANT SHALL BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO 18 DEPOSE THE INFORMANT PRIOR TO ENTERING INTO ANY PLEA NEGOTIATIONS OR 19 GOING TO TRIAL. 20 3. UPON THE REQUEST OF THE ATTORNEY FOR THE DEFENDANT, THE JUDGE SHALL 21 GRANT A RELIABILITY HEARING, WHICH SHALL BE USED TO DETERMINE THE CREDI- 22 BILITY OF THE INFORMANT'S TESTIMONY. BOTH THE PROSECUTION AND THE ATTOR- 23 NEY FOR THE DEFENDANT SHALL BE ENTITLED TO OFFER EVIDENCE RELATING TO 24 THE INFORMANT'S RELIABILITY. THE JUDGE, IN HIS OR HER OWN DISCRETION, EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01825-01-3 S. 25 2 1 SHALL WEIGH THE EVIDENCE AND DETERMINE IF THE INFORMANT IS A RELIABLE 2 WITNESS. IF THE INFORMANT IS FOUND TO BE UNRELIABLE, HE OR SHE SHALL BE 3 PROHIBITED FROM TESTIFYING AGAINST THE DEFENDANT. 4 4. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW RELATING TO THE PLEA 5 BARGAINS, NO PROSECUTING ATTORNEY SHALL OFFER A DISMISSAL OF OR REFUSE 6 TO BRING CHARGES FOR THE CRIMES OF MURDER, MANSLAUGHTER, RAPE, OR 7 KIDNAPPING IN EXCHANGE FOR THE TESTIMONY OF A PERSON. 8 5. IF A PERSON HAS COMMITTED A CRIME THAT, IF CONVICTED, WOULD RESULT 9 IN A CONVICTION OF A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR OR ANY CLASS OF FELONY, LAW 10 ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS OR THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY MUST RECEIVE JUDICIAL 11 CONSENT BEFORE USING SUCH CHARGE AS A PLEA OFFER IN EXCHANGE FOR THE 12 TESTIMONY OF THE PERSON. 13 6. COMMENCING JANUARY FIRST IN THE YEAR FOLLOWING THE EFFECTIVE DATE 14 OF THIS SECTION, AND EVERY JANUARY FIRST THEREAFTER, ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT 15 PERSONNEL WHO USE INFORMANTS SHALL FILE A REPORT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF 16 STATE. THE REPORT SHALL BE AVAILABLE TO PUBLIC INSPECTION AND MAY BE 17 MADE AVAILABLE ON THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE WEBSITE OR IN OTHER ELECTRONIC 18 FORMATS. THE REPORT SHALL INCLUDE: 19 A. THE EXACT NUMBER OF INFORMANTS CREATED AND SUSTAINED BY EACH 20 DEPARTMENT OR OFFICE; 21 B. THE NUMBER OF OCCURRENCES WHEN A SUSPECT BECOMES AN INFORMANT WITH- 22 OUT EVER BEING OFFICIALLY CHARGED WITH A CRIME; 23 C. THE NUMBER OF OCCURRENCES WHEN A SUSPECT HAS CHARGES DROPPED AFTER 24 AGREEING TO BECOME AN INFORMANT; 25 D. THE SPECIFIC OFFENSES THAT HAVE BEEN DROPPED AS THE RESULT OF AN 26 INDIVIDUAL BECOMING AN INFORMANT; 27 E. THE NUMBER OF ARRESTS THAT ARE THE DIRECT OR INDIRECT RESULT OF THE 28 USE OF AN INFORMANT AND THE ROLE PLAYED BY THE INFORMANT FOR EACH SUCH 29 ARREST; 30 F. THE NUMBER OF CONVICTIONS THAT ARE THE DIRECT OR INDIRECT RESULT OF 31 THE USE OF AN INFORMANT AND THE ROLE PLAYED BY THE INFORMANT FOR EACH 32 SUCH CONVICTION; AND 33 G. THE AGE, RACE, GENDER, AND NEIGHBORHOOD OF RESIDENCE OF EACH INFOR- 34 MANT. 35 S 2. This act shall take effect on the first of September next 36 succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.