STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3562
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 28, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BURKE -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Codes
AN ACT to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to the "Justice
for Rachael act"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Justice
2 for Rachael act".
3 § 2. The criminal procedure law is amended by adding a new section
4 510.55 to read as follows:
5 § 510.55 Pretrial detention; dangerousness hearing.
6 1. When a principal, whose future court attendance at a criminal
7 action or proceeding is or may be required, comes under the control of a
8 court, the people may make a motion seeking pretrial detention due to
9 the dangerousness of the principal. The people may seek the pretrial
10 detention of a principal:
11 (a) charged with a felony that involves the use, attempted use or
12 threatened use of physical force against the person of another or any
13 other felony that, by its nature, involves a substantial risk that phys-
14 ical force against the person of another may result;
15 (b) charged with a misdemeanor or felony which has as an element the
16 violation of a court order;
17 (c) charged with a misdemeanor or felony where the victim was
18 subjected to physical, sexual or psychological abuse inflicted by a
19 member of the same family or household, as such term is defined in
20 subdivision one of section 530.11 of this title, as the applicant;
21 (d) charged with an offense for which a minimum term of three years or
22 more is prescribed;
23 (e) charged with intimidating a victim or witness in the first degree
24 as defined in section 215.17 of the penal law, intimidating a victim or
25 witness in the second degree as defined in section 215.16 of the penal
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07010-01-5
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1 law, or intimidating a victim or witness in the third degree as defined
2 in section 215.15 of the penal law;
3 (f) charged with a third or subsequent violation of section eleven
4 hundred ninety-two of the vehicle and traffic law within ten years;
5 (g) charged with a felony which has as an element the use, attempted
6 use or threatened use of physical force or a deadly weapon against the
7 person of another;
8 (h) charged with burglary in the first degree as defined in section
9 140.30 of the penal law, burglary in the second degree as defined in
10 section 140.25 of the penal law, or burglary in the third degree as
11 defined in section 140.20 of the penal law, grand larceny in the second
12 degree as defined in section 155.40 of the penal law, or grand larceny
13 in the fourth degree as defined in section 155.30 of the penal law;
14 (i) charged under article one hundred fifty of the penal law;
15 (j) charged with kidnapping in the first degree as defined in section
16 135.25 of the penal law or kidnapping in the second degree as defined in
17 section 135.20 of the penal law;
18 (k) charged with a crime which involved the use of explosives;
19 (l) otherwise involves conduct that presents a serious risk of phys-
20 ical injury to another for which a term of imprisonment was served and
21 arrested and charged with a second or subsequent offense under article
22 two hundred sixty-five of the penal law; or
23 (m) charged with a felony under article twenty-six of the agriculture
24 and markets law.
25 2. (a) Upon the appearance of the principal charged with an offense
26 listed in subdivision one of this section before a supreme court or
27 district court judge and upon the motion of the people, the judge shall
28 hold a hearing pursuant to subdivision four of this section and shall
29 issue an order that, pending trial, the individual shall either be
30 released on their own recognizance, released on conditions of release as
31 set forth by the judge, or detained under subdivision three of this
32 section. The individual shall be released unless the judge determines
33 that releasing the principal on their own recognizance will endanger the
34 safety of any other person or the community but does not find by clear
35 and convincing evidence that no conditions of release will reasonably
36 assure the safety of any other person or the community, the judge shall
37 order the pretrial release of the principal:
38 (i) subject to the condition that the person not commit a federal,
39 state or local crime during the period of release; and
40 (ii) subject to the least restrictive further condition, or combina-
41 tion of conditions, that such judge determines will reasonably assure
42 the safety of any other person and the community that the principal:
43 (A) remain in the custody of a designated person, who agrees to assume
44 supervision and to report any violation of a release condition to the
45 court, if the designated person is reasonably able to assure the judi-
46 cial officer that the person will appear as required and will not pose a
47 danger to the safety of any other person or the community;
48 (B) maintain employment, or, if unemployed, actively seek employment;
49 (C) maintain or commence an educational program;
50 (D) abide by specified restrictions on personal associations, living
51 accommodations or travel;
52 (E) avoid all contact with an alleged victim of the crime and with any
53 potential witness or witnesses who may testify concerning the offense;
54 (F) report on a regular basis to a designated law enforcement agency,
55 pretrial service agency, or other agency;
56 (G) comply with a specified curfew;
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1 (H) refrain from possessing a firearm, destructive device, or other
2 dangerous weapon;
3 (I) refrain from excessive use of alcohol, or any use of a narcotic
4 drug or other controlled substance, without a prescription by a licensed
5 medical practitioner;
6 (J) undergo available medical, psychological, or psychiatric treat-
7 ment, including treatment for drug or alcohol dependency and remain in a
8 specified institution if required for that purpose;
9 (K) return to custody for specified hours following release for
10 employment, schooling, or other limited purposes;
11 (L) satisfy any other condition that is reasonably necessary to assure
12 the appearance of the person as required and to assure the safety of any
13 other person and the community; and
14 (M) participates in a community corrections program under the depart-
15 ment of corrections and community supervision, provided, however, that
16 the principal shall not participate in such program without their
17 consent to such participation.
18 (b) The judge shall not impose a financial condition that results in
19 the pretrial detention of the person under this section.
20 (c) The judge may at any time amend the order to impose additional or
21 different conditions of release.
22 3. There shall be a rebuttable presumption of release on recognizance
23 for every principal brought before the court. If, after a hearing
24 pursuant to the provisions of subdivision four of this section, the
25 district or supreme court judge finds by clear and convincing evidence
26 that no conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of any
27 other person or the community, said judge shall order the detention of
28 the principal prior to trial. A principal detained under this subdivi-
29 sion shall be brought to a trial as soon as reasonably possible, but in
30 absence of extraordinary circumstances, such principal shall not be
31 detained for a period exceeding one hundred twenty days by the district
32 court or for a period exceeding one hundred eighty days by the supreme
33 court.
34 4. (a) When a principal is held under arrest for an offense listed in
35 subdivision one of this section and upon a motion by the people, the
36 judge shall hold a hearing to determine whether conditions of release
37 will reasonably assure the safety of any other person or the community.
38 (b) The hearing shall be held immediately upon the principal's first
39 appearance before the court unless such principal or the people seek a
40 continuance. Except for good cause, a continuance on motion of the prin-
41 cipal shall not exceed seven days and a continuance on motion of the
42 people shall not exceed three business days. During a continuance, the
43 principal shall be detained upon a showing that there existed probable
44 cause to arrest the principal. At the hearing, such principal shall have
45 the right to be represented by counsel, and, if financially unable to
46 retain adequate representation, to have counsel appointed. The principal
47 shall be afforded an opportunity to testify, to present witnesses, to
48 cross-examine witnesses who appear at the hearing, and to present infor-
49 mation. Prior to the summons of an alleged victim, or a member of the
50 alleged victim's family, to appear as a witness at the hearing, the
51 principal shall demonstrate to the court a good faith basis for the
52 principal's reasonable belief that the testimony from the witness will
53 be material and relevant to support a conclusion that there are condi-
54 tions of release that will reasonably assure the safety of any other
55 person or the community. The rules concerning admissibility of evidence
56 in criminal trials shall not apply to the presentation and consideration
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1 of information at the hearing and the judge shall consider hearsay
2 contained in a police report or the statement of an alleged victim or
3 witness. The facts the judge uses to support findings pursuant to subdi-
4 vision three of this section, that no conditions will reasonably assure
5 the safety of any other person or the community, shall be supported by
6 clear and convincing evidence. In a detention order issued pursuant to
7 the provisions of said subdivision three of this section the judge
8 shall: (i) include written findings of fact and a written statement of
9 the reasons for the detention; (ii) direct that the principal be commit-
10 ted to custody or confinement in a corrections facility separate, to the
11 extent practicable, from principals awaiting or serving sentence or
12 being held in custody pending appeal; and (iii) direct that the princi-
13 pal be afforded reasonable opportunity for private consultation with
14 their counsel. The principal may be detained pending completion of the
15 hearing. The hearing may be reopened by the judge, at any time before
16 trial, or upon a motion of the people or the principal detained if the
17 judge finds that: (A) information exists that was not known at the time
18 of the hearing or that there has been a change in circumstances; and (B)
19 that such information or change in circumstances has a material bearing
20 on the issue of whether there are conditions of release that will
21 reasonably assure the safety of any other person or the community.
22 5. In the judge's determination as to whether there are conditions of
23 release that will reasonably assure the safety of any other person or
24 the community, said judge shall, on the basis of any information which
25 such judge can reasonably obtain, take into account the nature and seri-
26 ousness of the danger posed to any other person or the community that
27 would result by the principal's release, the nature and circumstances of
28 the offense charged, the potential penalty the principal faces, the
29 principal's family ties, employment record and history of mental
30 illness, the principal's reputation, the risk that the principal will
31 obstruct or attempt to obstruct the judge or threaten, injure or intim-
32 idate or attempt to threaten, injure or intimidate a prospective witness
33 or juror, such principal's record of convictions, if any, any illegal
34 drug distribution or present drug dependency, and whether the principal
35 is released pending adjudication of a prior charge.
36 6. Nothing in this section shall be construed as modifying or limiting
37 the presumption of innocence.
38 7. (a) A principal aggrieved by the denial of a district court judge
39 to release such principal on their own recognizance with or without
40 surety or condition may petition the supreme court for a review of the
41 order of the recognizance and the judge of the district court shall
42 thereupon immediately notify such principal of their right to file a
43 petition for review in the supreme court. When a petition for review is
44 filed in the district court or with the detaining authority subsequent
45 to the petitioner's district court appearance, the clerk of the district
46 court or the detaining authority, as the case may be, shall immediately
47 notify by telephone, the clerk and probation officer of the district
48 court, the district attorney for the district in which the district
49 court is located, the prosecuting officer, the petitioner's counsel, if
50 any, and the clerk of courts of the county to which the petition is to
51 be transmitted. The clerk of the district court, upon the filing of a
52 petition for review, either in the district court or with the detaining
53 authority, shall forthwith transmit the petition for review, a copy of
54 the complaint and the record of the court, including the appearance of
55 the attorney, if any is entered, and a summary of the court's reasons
56 for denying the release of the principal on their own recognizance with
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1 or without surety or condition to the supreme court for the county in
2 which the district court is located, if a judge thereof is then sitting,
3 or to the supreme court of the nearest county in which a judge is then
4 sitting. The probation officer of the district court shall transmit
5 forthwith to the probation officer of the supreme court, copies of all
6 records of the probation office of said district court pertaining to the
7 petitioner, including the petitioner's record of prior convictions, if
8 any, as currently verified by inquiry of the commissioner. The district
9 court or the detaining authority, as the case may be, shall cause any
10 petitioner in its custody to be brought before said supreme court within
11 two business days of the petition having been filed. The district court
12 is authorized to order any officer authorized to execute criminal proc-
13 ess to transfer the petitioner and any papers herein above described
14 from the district court or the detaining authority to the supreme court,
15 and to coordinate the transfer of the petitioner and the papers by such
16 officer. The petition for review shall constitute authority in the
17 person or officer having custody of the petitioner to transport the
18 petitioner to said supreme court without the issuance of any writ or
19 other legal process; provided, however, that any district or supreme
20 court is authorized to issue a writ of habeas corpus for the appearance
21 forthwith of the petitioner before the supreme court.
22 (b) The supreme court shall hear the petition for review as speedily
23 as practicable and in any event within five business days of the filing
24 of the petition. The supreme court judge hearing the review may consider
25 the record below which the people and the principal may supplement. The
26 judge of the supreme court may, after a hearing on the petition for
27 review, order that the petitioner be released on their own recognizance
28 without surety or condition, or, in the judge's discretion, to reason-
29 ably assure the effective administration of justice, make any other
30 order of bail or recognizance or remand the petitioner in accordance
31 with the terms of the process by which the petitioner was ordered
32 committed by the district court.
33 8. If after a hearing under subdivision four of this section detention
34 under subdivision three of this section is ordered or pretrial release
35 subject to conditions under subdivision two of this section is ordered,
36 then: (a) the clerk shall immediately notify the probation officer of
37 the order; and (b) the order of detention under subdivision three of
38 this section or order of pretrial release subject to conditions under
39 subdivision two of this section shall be recorded in the principal's
40 criminal record.
41 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
42 ing the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to all
43 criminal cases where the defendant was arraigned on or after such effec-
44 tive date.
