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MINUTES OF THE

HOUSE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING

Room W020 - House Building, State Capitol Complex

January 27, 2010

MEMBERS PRESENT:
    Rep. Lorie D. Fowlke, Chair
        Rep. Jim Bird, Vice Chair
        Rep. Sheryl L. Allen
        Rep. Jackie Biskupski
        Rep. Francis Gibson
        Rep. Keith Grover
        Rep. Eric K. Hutchings
        Rep. Christine A. Johnson
        Rep. Brian King
        Rep. Kay L. McIff
        Rep. Kraig Powell
        Rep. Mark A. Wheatley
                
STAFF PRESENT:    Jerry D. Howe, Policy Analyst
        Kathy Sorg, Committee Secretary
    

NOTE:     A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.

Representative Fowlke called the meeting to order at 8:05 a.m.

H.B. 47    Board of Pardons and Parole Technical Amendments (Rep. E. Hutchings)

Rep. Hutchings, assisted by Clark A. Harms of the Board of Pardons, introduced the bill and explained it to the committee. Mr. Harms distributed a summary of H.B. 47 to members of the committee.

MOTION:    Representative Biskupski moved to pass H.B. 47 with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Grover and Rep. McIff absent for the vote.

Rep. Fowlke relinquished the chair to Rep. Bird.

H.B. 16    Parent-time Amendments (Rep. L. Fowlke)

Rep. Fowlke explained the bill to the committee.

Spoke in opposition to the bill: Todd Stone, citizen
                Kris Ormond, citizen
                Louis D. Langholtz, Director, Utah Fathers' Rights Meetup                  Group


Spoke in favor of the bill:    Stewart Ralphs, Utah State Bar

MOTION:    Rep. Fowlke moved to amend the bill as follows:

1.    Page 11, Line 329 :    

             329          (1) For purposes of this section, "relocation" means moving
{   from the state or   } 150 miles


The motion to amend H.B. 16 passed unanimously with Rep. Grover and Rep. McIff being absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Johnson moved to pass H.B. 16 with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously.

Representative Fowlke resumed the chair.

H.B. 10    Court Fees for Inmates (Rep. C. Oda)

Rep. Oda, assisted by Stewart Ralphs, Utah State Bar, explained the bill to the committee.

MOTION:    Rep. Bird moved to pass H.B. 10 with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed with Rep. Hutchings and Rep. Fowlke voting in opposition. Rep. Powell was absent for the vote.

H.B. 21    Expungement Revisions (Rep. Julie Fisher)

Rep. Fisher, assisted by Lana Taylor, Attorney General's Office, explained the bill to the committee. Ms. Taylor distributed a summary of H.B. 21 to members of the committee.

MOTION:    Rep. Gibson moved to amend the bill as follows:

1.    Page 16, Lines 484 through 489 :    

             484          The bureau shall collect fees for the following services:
* * * Some lines not shown * * *

             488          (4) [expungement] application for
  and issuance of a       certificate of eligibility for expungement as

             489      determined by Section [ 77-18-11 ] 77-40-106 ;

2.    Page 36, Line 1104 through Page 37, Line 1111 :    

             1104          (4) (a)
{   A petitioner may expunge one felony conviction.


             1105
         (b) A petitioner may expunge three misdemeanor convictions, not arising out of a
             1106      single criminal episode.
             1107          (c) A petitioner may not expunge more than four convictions, not arising out of a single
             1108      criminal episode. This restriction applies regardless of the jurisdiction in which the
             1109      expungement was obtained.  
}
  A petitioner is not eligible to receive a certificate of eligibility from the bureau for any record of conviction if the petitioner's criminal history contains:

(i) more than one criminal episode which contains a conviction for a crime that would be a felony under Utah law;
(ii) more than two criminal episodes which contain a conviction for a crime that would be a class A misdemeanor or felony under Utah law; or
(iii) more than three criminal episodes which contain a conviction for a crime that would be a class B or A misdemeanor or felony under Utah law.
(b) A petitioner may not expunge more than four criminal episodes which contain a conviction for a crime that would be any type of misdemeanor or felony under Utah law.  

             1110          
{   (d)   }        (c)       Infractions are not included in determining the total number of      {   convictions   }        criminal episodes       a person

             1111      may expunge.
    
  (d) The restrictions in this Subsection (4) apply regardless of whether the petitioner has expunged any convictions or any criminal episodes and regardless of the jurisdiction in which the expungement occurred.      


3.    Page 37, Lines 1124 through 1132 :    

             1124          (2) (a) The bureau shall perform a check of records of governmental agencies,
             1125      including national criminal data bases, to determine whether a petitioner is eligible to receive a
             1126      certificate of eligibility under this chapter.
    
  (b) For purposes of determining eligibility under this chapter, the bureau may review records of arrest, investigation, detention and conviction that have been previously expunged.      

             1127          
{   (b)   }        (c)       If the petitioner meets all of the criteria under Section 77-40-104 or 77-40-105 , the

             1128      bureau shall issue a certificate of eligibility to the petitioner which shall be valid for a

period of
             1129      90 days from the date the certificate is issued.
             1130          

{   (c)   }        (d)       If, after reasonable research, a disposition for an arrest on the criminal history file is

             1131      unobtainable, the bureau may issue a special certificate giving determination of eligibility to
             1132      the court.

The motion to amend passed with Rep. Hutchings and Rep. McIff voting in opposition and Rep. Biskupski absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Gibson moved to pass H.B. 21 with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Biskupski absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Representative Bird moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Biskupski absent for the vote.

Representative Fowlke adjourned the meeting at 9:52 a.m.




                ___________________________________
                    Rep. Lorie Fowlke, Chair