100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
SB1830

Introduced 2/9/2017, by Sen. Michael E. Hastings

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
725 ILCS 5/115-21

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides in cases in which the prosecution attempts to introduce evidence of incriminating statements made by the accused to or overheard by an informant, the prosecution shall disclose at least 30 days prior to any relevant evidentiary hearing or trial (rather than timely disclose in discovery): (1) the complete criminal history of the informant; (2) any deal, promise, inducement, or benefit that the offering party has made or will make in the future to the informant; (3) the statements made by the accused; (4) the time and place of the statements, the time and place of their disclosure to law enforcement officials, and the names of all persons who were present when the statements were made; whether at any time the informant recanted that testimony or statement and, if so, the time and place of the recantation, the nature of the recantation, and the names of the persons who were present at the recantation; (6) other cases in which the informant testified, provided that the existence of such testimony can be ascertained through reasonable inquiry and whether the informant received any promise, inducement, or benefit in exchange for or subsequent to that testimony or statement; and (7) any other information relevant to the informant's credibility. Provides that if, at any time, a law enforcement or prosecutorial official has reason to believe that a previous statement or testimony proffered by an individual acting as an in-custody informant may be untruthful or unreliable, this information shall be disclosed through notification to the defendant, his or her attorney of record or the public defender's office, the prosecutor's office, and the court for all cases in which the informant offered statements or testimony. Provides that this provision applies to any criminal proceeding for first degree murder, intentional homicide of an unborn child, second degree murder, voluntary manslaughter of an unborn child, involuntary manslaughter and reckless homicide, involuntary manslaughter and reckless homicide of an unborn child, drug-induced homicide, aggravated criminal sexual assault, predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, or aggravated arson (rather than a capital case). Makes other changes.
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A BILL FOR

SB1830LRB100 09232 SLF 19388 b
1 AN ACT concerning criminal law.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 is
5amended by changing Section 115-21 as follows:
6 (725 ILCS 5/115-21)
7 Sec. 115-21. Informant testimony.
8 (a) For the purposes of this Section, "informant" means
9someone who is purporting to testify about admissions made to
10him or her by the accused while detained or incarcerated in a
11penal institution contemporaneously.
12 (b) This Section applies to any criminal proceeding brought
13under Sections 9-1, 9-1.2, 9-2, 9-2.1, 9-3, 9-3.2, 9-3.3,
1411-1.30, 11-1.40, or 20-1.1, of the Criminal Code of 1961 or
15the Criminal Code of 2012, capital case in which the
16prosecution attempts to introduce evidence of incriminating
17statements made by the accused to or overheard by an informant.
18 (c) In any case under this Section, the prosecution shall
19disclose at least 30 days prior to a relevant evidentiary
20hearing or trial timely disclose in discovery:
21 (1) the complete criminal history of the informant;
22 (2) any deal, promise, inducement, or benefit that the
23 offering party has made or will make in the future to the

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1 informant;
2 (3) the statements made by the accused;
3 (4) the time and place of the statements, the time and
4 place of their disclosure to law enforcement officials, and
5 the names of all persons who were present when the
6 statements were made;
7 (5) whether at any time the informant recanted that
8 testimony or statement and, if so, the time and place of
9 the recantation, the nature of the recantation, and the
10 names of the persons who were present at the recantation;
11 (6) other cases in which the informant testified,
12 provided that the existence of such testimony can be
13 ascertained through reasonable inquiry and whether the
14 informant received any promise, inducement, or benefit in
15 exchange for or subsequent to that testimony or statement;
16 and
17 (7) any other information relevant to the informant's
18 credibility.
19 (d) In any case under this Section, the prosecution shall
20must timely disclose at least 30 days prior to any relevant
21evidentiary hearing or trial its intent to introduce the
22testimony of an informant. The court shall conduct a hearing to
23determine whether the testimony of the informant is reliable,
24unless the defendant waives such a hearing. If the prosecution
25fails to show by a preponderance of the evidence that the
26informant's testimony is reliable, the court shall not allow

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1the testimony to be heard at trial. At this hearing, the court
2shall consider the factors enumerated in subsection (c) as well
3as any other factors relating to reliability.
4 (e) (Blank). A hearing required under subsection (d) does
5not apply to statements covered under subsection (b) that are
6lawfully recorded.
7 (e-5) If, at any time, a law enforcement or prosecutorial
8official has reason to believe that a previous statement or
9testimony proffered by an individual acting as an in-custody
10informant may be untruthful or unreliable, this information
11shall be disclosed through notification to the defendant, his
12or her attorney of record or the public defender's office, the
13prosecutor's office, and the court for all cases in which the
14informant offered statements or testimony. If there is an
15adverse finding with respect to the reliability of the
16in-custody informant, the relevant State entity has an
17obligation to notify the defendant, his or her attorney of
18record or public defender's office, the prosecutor's office,
19and the court where the in-custody informant has testified.
20 (f) This Section applies to all criminal death penalty
21prosecutions initiated on or after the effective date of this
22amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly.
23(Source: P.A. 93-605, eff. 11-19-03.)