Download Zipped Amended WordPerfect HB0148S04.ZIP
[Introduced][Status][Bill Documents][Fiscal Note][Bills Directory]

Fourth Substitute H.B. 148

This document includes House Floor Amendments incorporated into the bill on Tue, Mar 3, 2009 at 1:45 PM by jeyring. -->

Representative R. Curt Webb proposes the following substitute bill:


             1     
VICTIM RIGHTS AMENDMENTS

             2     
2009 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: R. Curt Webb

             5     
Senate Sponsor: Peter C. Knudson

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill empowers the trial court judge hearing a criminal case to give the victim an
             10      appropriate remedy for a violation of a victim's rights.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    empowers the trial court judge hearing a criminal case to give the victim an
             14      appropriate remedy for a violation of a victim's rights.
             15      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             16          None
             17      Other Special Clauses:
             18          None
             19      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             20      AMENDS:
             21          77-37-5, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 382
             22          77-38-2, as last amended by Laws of Utah 1997, Chapter 103
             23          77-38-11, as last amended by Laws of Utah 1996, Chapter 79
             24          77-38-12, as last amended by Laws of Utah 1995, Chapter 352
             25     


             26      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             27          Section 1. Section 77-37-5 is amended to read:
             28           77-37-5. Remedies -- Victims' Rights Committee.
             29          (1) In each judicial district, the presiding district court judge shall appoint a person
             30      who shall establish and chair a victims' rights committee consisting of:
             31          (a) a county attorney or district attorney;
             32          (b) a sheriff;
             33          (c) a corrections field services administrator;
             34          (d) an appointed victim advocate;
             35          (e) a municipal attorney;
             36          (f) a municipal chief of police; and
             37          (g) other representatives as appropriate.
             38          (2) The committee shall meet at least semiannually to review progress and problems
             39      related to this chapter, Title 77, Chapter 38, Rights of Crime Victims Act, and Utah
             40      Constitution Article I, Section 28. Victims and other interested parties may submit matters of
             41      concern to the victims' rights committee. The committee may hold a hearing open to the public
             42      on any appropriate matter of concern and may publish its findings. These matters shall also be
             43      considered at the meetings of the victims' rights committee. The committee shall forward
             44      minutes of all meetings to the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice and the Office of
             45      Crime Victim Reparations for review and other appropriate action.
             46          (3) If a victims' rights committee is unable to resolve a complaint, it may refer the
             47      complaint to the Utah Council on Victims of Crime, established in Section 63M-7-601 , for
             48      further consideration.
             49          (4) The Office of Crime Victim Reparations shall provide materials to local law
             50      enforcement to inform every victim of a sexual offense of the right to request testing of the
             51      convicted sexual offender and of the victim as provided in Section 76-5-502 .
             52          (5) (a) If a person acting under color of state law willfully or wantonly fails to perform
             53      duties so that the rights in this chapter are not provided, an action for injunctive relief may be
             54      brought against the individual and the government entity that employs the individual.
             55          (b) For all other violations, if the committee finds a violation of a victim's right, it shall
             56      refer the matter to the appropriate court for further proceedings consistent with Subsection


             57      77-38-11 (2).
             58          (c) The failure to provide the rights in this chapter or Title 77, Chapter 38, Rights of
             59      Crime Victims Act, does not constitute cause for a judgment against the state or any
             60      government entity, or any individual employed by the state or any government entity, for
             61      monetary damages, [attorney's] attorney fees, or the costs of exercising any rights under this
             62      chapter.
             63          (6) The person accused of and subject to prosecution for the crime or the act which
             64      would be a crime if committed by a competent adult, has no standing to make a claim
             65      concerning any violation of the provisions of this chapter.
             66          Section 2. Section 77-38-2 is amended to read:
             67           77-38-2. Definitions.
             68          For the purposes of this chapter and the Utah Constitution:
             69          (1) "Abuse" means treating the crime victim in a manner so as to injure, damage, or
             70      disparage.
             71          (2) "Dignity" means treating the crime victim with worthiness, honor, and esteem.
             72          (3) "Fairness" means treating the crime victim reasonably, even-handedly, and
             73      impartially.
             74          (4) "Harassment" means treating the crime victim in a persistently annoying manner.
             75          (5) "Important criminal justice hearings" or "important juvenile justice hearings" means
             76      the following proceedings in felony criminal cases or cases involving a minor's conduct which
             77      would be a felony if committed by an adult:
             78          (a) any preliminary hearing to determine probable cause;
             79          (b) any court arraignment where practical;
             80          (c) any court proceeding involving the disposition of charges against a defendant or
             81      minor or the delay of a previously scheduled trial date but not including any unanticipated
             82      proceeding to take an admission or a plea of guilty as charged to all charges previously filed or
             83      any plea taken at an initial appearance;
             84          (d) any court proceeding to determine whether to release a defendant or minor and, if
             85      so, under what conditions release may occur, excluding any such release determination made at
             86      an initial appearance;
             87          (e) any criminal or delinquency trial, excluding any actions at the trial that a court


             88      might take in camera, in chambers, or at a sidebar conference;
             89          (f) any court proceeding to determine the disposition of a minor or sentence, fine, or
             90      restitution of a defendant or to modify any disposition of a minor or sentence, fine, or
             91      restitution of a defendant; and
             92          (g) any public hearing concerning whether to grant a defendant or minor parole or other
             93      form of discretionary release from confinement.
             94          (6) "Reliable information" means information worthy of confidence, including any
             95      information whose use at sentencing is permitted by the United States Constitution.
             96          (7) "Representative of a victim" means a person who is designated by the victim or
             97      designated by the court and who represents the victim in the best interests of the victim.
             98          (8) "Respect" means treating the crime victim with regard and value.
             99          (9) (a) "Victim of a crime" means any natural person against whom the charged crime
             100      or conduct is alleged to have been perpetrated or attempted by the defendant or minor
             101      personally or as a party to the offense or conduct or, in the discretion of the court, against
             102      whom a related crime or act is alleged to have been perpetrated or attempted, unless the natural
             103      person is the accused or appears to be accountable or otherwise criminally responsible for or
             104      criminally involved in the crime or conduct or a crime or act arising from the same conduct,
             105      criminal episode, or plan as the crime is defined under the laws of this state.
             106          (b) For purposes of the right to be present, "victim of a crime" does not mean any
             107      person who is in custody as a pretrial detainee, as a prisoner following conviction for an
             108      offense, or as a juvenile who has committed an act that would be an offense if committed by an
             109      adult, or who is in custody for mental or psychological treatment.
             110          (c) For purposes of the right to be present and heard at a public hearing as provided in
             111      Subsection 77-38-2 (5)(g) and the right to notice as provided in Subsection 77-38-3 (7)(a),
             112      "victim of a crime" includes any victim originally named in the allegation of criminal conduct
             113      who is not a victim of the offense to which the defendant entered a negotiated plea of guilty.
             114          Section 3. Section 77-38-11 is amended to read:
             115           77-38-11. Enforcement -- Appellate Review -- No right to money damages.
             116          (1) If a person acting under color of state law willfully or wantonly fails to perform
             117      duties so that the rights in this chapter are not provided, an action for injunctive relief,
             118      including prospective injunctive relief, may be brought against the individual and the


             119      governmental entity that employs the individual.
             120          (2) [(a)] The victim of a crime or representative of a victim of a crime, including any
             121      Victims' Rights Committee as defined in Section 77-37-5 may:
             122          [(i)] (a) bring an action for declaratory relief or for a writ of mandamus defining or
             123      enforcing the rights of victims and the obligations of government entities under this chapter;
             124      [and]
             125          [(ii)] (b) petition to file an amicus brief in any court in any case affecting crime
             126      victims[.]; and
             127          (c) after giving notice to the prosecution and the defense, seek an appropriate remedy
             128      for a violation of a victim's right from the judge assigned to the case involving the issue as
             129      provided in Section 77-38-11 .
             130          [(b) Adverse rulings on these actions or on a motion or request brought by a victim of a
             131      crime or a representative of a victim of a crime may be appealed under the rules governing
             132      appellate actions, provided that no appeal shall constitute grounds for delaying any criminal or
             133      juvenile proceeding.]
             134          [(c) An appellate court shall review all such properly presented issues, including issues
             135      that are capable of repetition but would otherwise evade review.]
             136          (3) (a) Upon a showing that the victim has not unduly delayed in seeking to protect the
             137      victim's right, and after hearing from the prosecution and the defense, the judge shall determine
             138      whether a right of the victim has been violated.
             139          (b) If the judge determines that a victim's right has been violated, the judge shall
             140      proceed to determine the appropriate remedy for the violation of the victim's right by hearing
             141      from the victim and the parties, considering all factors relevant to the issue, and then awarding
             142      an appropriate remedy to the victim. The court shall reconsider any judicial decision or
             143      judgment affected by a violation of the victim's right and determine whether, upon affording
             144      the victim the right and further hearing from the prosecution and the defense, the decision or
             145      judgment would have been different. If the court's decision or judgment would have been
             146      different, the court shall enter the new different decision or judgment as the appropriate
             147      remedy. If necessary to protect the victim's right, the new decision or judgment shall be
             148      entered nunc pro tunc to the time the first decision or judgment was reached. In no event shall
             149      the appropriate remedy be a new trial, damages, attorneys' fees, or costs.


             150          (c) The appropriate remedy shall include only actions necessary to provide the victim
             151      the right to which the victim was entitled and may include reopening previously held
             152      proceedings. Subject to Subsection (3)(d), the court may reopen a sentence or a previously
             153      entered guilty or no contest plea only if doing so would not preclude continued prosecution or
             154      sentencing the defendant and would not otherwise permit the defendant to escape justice. Any
             155      remedy shall be tailored to provide the victim an appropriate remedy without violating any
             156      constitutional right of the defendant.
             157          (d) If the court sets aside a previously entered plea of guilty or no contest, and
             158      thereafter continued prosecution of the charge is held to be prevented by the defendant's having
             159      been previously put in jeopardy, the order setting aside the plea is void and the plea is
             160      reinstated as of the date of its original entry.
             161          (e) The court may not award as a remedy the dismissal of any criminal charge.
             162          (f) The court may not award any remedy if the proceeding that the victim is challenging
             163      occurred more than H. [ six months ] 90 days .H before the victim filed an action alleging the
             163a      violation of the
             164      right.
             165          [(3)] (4) The failure to provide the rights in this chapter or Title 77, Chapter 37,
             166      [Victims] Victims' Rights, shall not constitute cause for a judgment against the state or any
             167      government entity, or any individual employed by the state or any government entity, for
             168      monetary damages, [attorneys'] attorney fees, or the costs of exercising any rights under this
             169      chapter.
             170          Section 4. Section 77-38-12 is amended to read:
             171           77-38-12. Construction of this chapter -- No right to set aside conviction,
             172      adjudication, admission, or plea -- Severability clause.
             173          (1) All of the provisions contained in this chapter shall be construed to assist the
             174      victims of crime.
             175          (2) This chapter may not be construed as creating a basis for dismissing any criminal
             176      charge or delinquency petition, vacating any adjudication or conviction, admission or plea of
             177      guilty or no contest, or for a defendant to obtain appellate, habeas corpus, [except in juvenile
             178      cases,] or other relief from a judgment in any criminal or delinquency case.
             179          (3) This chapter may not be construed as creating any right of a victim to appointed
             180      counsel at state expense.


             181          (4) All of the rights contained in this chapter shall be construed to conform to the
             182      Constitution of the United States.
             183          (5) (a) In the event that any portion of this chapter is found to violate the Constitution
             184      of the United States, the remaining provisions of this chapter shall continue to operate in full
             185      force and effect.
             186          (b) In the event that a particular application of any portion of this chapter is found to
             187      violate the Constitution of the United States, all other applications shall continue to operate in
             188      full force and effect.
             189          (6) The enumeration of certain rights for crime victims in this chapter shall not be
             190      construed to deny or disparage other rights granted by the Utah Constitution or the Legislature
             191      or retained by victims of crimes.


[Bill Documents][Bills Directory]