NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A7698A
SPONSOR: Lentol
 
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the criminal procedure law and the
judiciary law, in relation to functions of the chief administrator of
the courts; and to amend the executive law, in relation to reporting
requirements
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To strengthen reporting requirements in the criminal justice system.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Section 10.40 of the criminal procedure law, as added by
chapter 47 of the laws of 1984 is amended.
Section 2. Subdivision 2 of section 212 of the judiciary law is amended
by adding six new paragraphs (t), (u), (v), (w), (x) and (y).
Section 3. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 837-s.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Reporting is necessary to provide metrics by which the public and policy
makers can evaluate the effectiveness of existing criminal justice poli-
cies. This bill would standardize the kinds of information that is
compiled and reported.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
None
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7698--A
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 22, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. LENTOL -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Codes -- recommitted to the Committee on Codes in accordance with
Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the criminal procedure law and the judiciary law, in
relation to functions of the chief administrator of the courts; and to
amend the executive law, in relation to reporting requirements
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 10.40 of the criminal procedure
2 law, as amended by chapter 237 of the laws of 2015, is amended to read
3 as follows:
4 1. The chief administrator of the courts shall have the power to
5 adopt, amend and rescind forms for the efficient and just administration
6 of this chapter. Such forms shall include, without limitation, the
7 forms described in paragraph (z) of subdivision two of section two
8 hundred twelve of the judiciary law. A failure by any party to submit
9 papers in compliance with forms authorized by this section shall not be
10 grounds for that reason alone for denial or granting of any motion.
11 § 2. Subdivision 2 of section 212 of the judiciary law is amended by
12 adding six new paragraphs (u), (v), (w), (x), (y) and (z) to read as
13 follows:
14 (u) Compile and publish data on misdemeanor offenses in all courts,
15 disaggregated by county, including the following information:
16 (i) the aggregate number of misdemeanors charged, by indictment or the
17 filing of a misdemeanor complaint or information;
18 (ii) the offense charged;
19 (iii) the race, ethnicity, age, and sex of the individual charged;
20 (iv) whether the individual was issued a summons or appearance ticket,
21 was subject to custodial arrest, and/or was held to arraignment as a
22 result of the alleged misdemeanor;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11204-07-6
A. 7698--A 2
1 (v) the zip code or location where the alleged misdemeanor occurred;
2 (vi) the disposition, including, as the case may be, dismissal,
3 acquittal, adjournment in contemplation of dismissal, plea, conviction,
4 or other disposition;
5 (vii) in the case of dismissal, the reasons therefor; and
6 (viii) the sentence imposed, if any, including fines, fees, and
7 surcharges.
8 (v) Compile and publish data on violations in all courts, disaggre-
9 gated by county, including the following information:
10 (i) the aggregate number of violations charged by the filing of an
11 information;
12 (ii) the violation charged;
13 (iii) the race, ethnicity, age, and sex of the individual charged;
14 (iv) whether the individual was issued a summons or appearance ticket,
15 was subject to custodial arrest, and/or was held to arraignment as a
16 result of the alleged violation;
17 (v) the zip code or location where the alleged violation occurred;
18 (vi) the disposition, including, as the case may be, dismissal,
19 acquittal, conviction, or other disposition;
20 (vii) in the case of dismissal, the reasons therefor; and
21 (viii) the sentence imposed, if any, including fines, fees, and
22 surcharges.
23 (w) The chief administrator shall include the information required by
24 paragraphs (u) and (v) of this subdivision in the annual report submit-
25 ted to the legislature and the governor pursuant to paragraph (j) of
26 subdivision one of this section. The chief administrator shall also make
27 the information required by paragraphs (u) and (v) of this subdivision
28 available to the public by posting it on the website of the office of
29 court administration and shall update such information on a monthly
30 basis. The information shall be posted in alphanumeric form that can be
31 digitally transmitted or processed and not in portable document format
32 or scanned copies of original documents.
33 (x) Nothing in paragraphs (u) and (v) of this subdivision shall be
34 construed as granting authority to the chief administrator, a criminal
35 justice or law enforcement agency, a governmental entity, or any agent
36 or representative of the foregoing, to use, disseminate, or publish any
37 individual's name, date of birth, NYSID, social security number, docket
38 number, or other unique identifier in violation of the criminal proce-
39 dure law, the general business law, or any other law.
40 (y) Nothing in paragraphs (u) and (v) of this subdivision shall be
41 construed as granting authority to the chief administrator, a criminal
42 justice or law enforcement agency, a governmental entity, a party, a
43 judge, a prosecutor, or any agent or representative of the foregoing to
44 introduce, use, disseminate, publish or consider any records in any
45 judicial or administrative proceeding expunged or sealed under applica-
46 ble provisions of the criminal procedure law, the family court act, or
47 any other law.
48 (z) In executing the requirements of paragraphs (u) and (v) of this
49 section, the chief administrator may adopt rules consistent with the
50 requirements of paragraphs (x) and (y) of this subdivision requiring
51 appropriate law enforcement or criminal justice agencies to identify
52 actions and proceedings involving these offenses, and with respect to
53 such actions and proceedings, to report, in such form and manner as the
54 chief administrator shall prescribe, the information specified herein.
55 Further, to facilitate this provision, the chief administrator shall
56 adopt rules to facilitate record sharing, retention and other necessary
A. 7698--A 3
1 communication among the criminal courts and law enforcement agencies,
2 subject to applicable provisions of the criminal procedure law, the
3 family court act, and any other law pertaining to the confidentiality,
4 expungement and sealing of records.
5 § 3. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 837-s to
6 read as follows:
7 § 837-s. Reporting duties of law enforcement departments with respect
8 to arrest-related deaths. 1. The chief of every police department, each
9 county sheriff, and the superintendent of state police shall promptly
10 report to the division any arrest-related death, disaggregated by coun-
11 ty. An arrest-related death is a death that occurs during law enforce-
12 ment custody or an attempt to establish custody including, but not
13 limited to, deaths caused by any use of force. The data shall include
14 the following information:
15 (a) the number of arrest-related deaths;
16 (b) the race, ethnicity, age, and sex of the individual;
17 (c) the zip code or location where the death occurred; and
18 (d) a brief description of the circumstances surrounding the arrest-
19 related death.
20 2. The division shall present to the governor and the legislature an
21 annual report containing the information required by subdivision one of
22 this section. The initial report required by this subdivision shall be
23 for the period beginning July first, two thousand sixteen and ending
24 December thirty-first, two thousand sixteen and shall be presented no
25 later than February first, two thousand seventeen. Thereafter, each
26 annual report shall be presented no later than February first.
27 3. The division shall make the information required by subdivision one
28 of this section available to the public by posting it on the website of
29 the division and shall update such information on a monthly basis. The
30 information shall be posted in alphanumeric form that can be digitally
31 transmitted or processed and not in portable document format or scanned
32 copies of original documents.
33 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that the amend-
34 ment to subdivision 1 of section 10.40 of the criminal procedure law,
35 made by a section one of this act, shall survive the expiration and
36 reversion of such section as provided in section 11 of chapter 237 of
37 the laws of 2015, as amended.