Bill Text: MI HB4421 | 2023-2024 | 102nd Legislature | Chaptered

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Bill Title: Civil procedure: other; certain public video recordings of court proceedings; allow the victims' faces to be blurred. Amends secs. 8, 38 & 68 of 1985 PA 87 (MCL 780.758 et seq.).

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 26-12)

Status: (Passed) 2023-11-08 - Assigned Pa 179'23 [HB4421 Detail]

Download: Michigan-2023-HB4421-Chaptered.html

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Act No. 179

Public Acts of 2023

Approved by the Governor

November 6, 2023

Filed with the Secretary of State

November 7, 2023

EFFECTIVE DATE:  Sine Die

(91st day after final adjournment of the 2023 Regular Session)

state of michigan

102nd Legislature

Regular session of 2023

Introduced by Reps. Young, Conlin, Brixie, Farhat, Byrnes, Outman, Kunse, Bezotte, Filler, Tisdel, BeGole, Arbit, Wilson, Brenda Carter, VanWoerkom, Hope, Bierlein, Scott, Glanville, Dievendorf, McFall, Hoskins, Morgan, Schuette, Paiz, Mueller, Fitzgerald, Liberati, Weiss, Neeley, Miller, Tyrone Carter, Meerman, Beson, Coffia, Skaggs, Brabec and Aiyash

ENROLLED HOUSE BILL No. 4421

AN ACT to amend 1985 PA 87, entitled “An act to establish the rights of victims of crime and juvenile offenses; to provide for certain procedures; to establish certain immunities and duties; to limit convicted criminals from deriving profit under certain circumstances; to prohibit certain conduct of employers or employers’ agents toward victims; and to provide for penalties and remedies,” by amending sections 8, 38, and 68 (MCL 780.758, 780.788, and 780.818), as amended by 2012 PA 457.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 8. (1) Based upon the victim’s reasonable apprehension of acts or threats of physical violence or intimidation by the defendant or at defendant’s direction against the victim or the victim’s immediate family, the prosecuting attorney may move that the victim or any other witness not be compelled to testify at pretrial proceedings or at trial for purposes of identifying the victim as to the victim’s address, place of employment, or other personal identification without the victim’s consent. A hearing on the motion must be in camera.

(2) The work address and address of the victim must not be in the court file or ordinary court documents unless contained in a transcript of the trial or it is used to identify the place of the crime. The work telephone number and telephone number of the victim must not be in the court file or ordinary court documents except as contained in a transcript of the trial.

(3) Under section 24 of article I of the state constitution of 1963, guaranteeing to crime victims the right to be treated with respect for their dignity and privacy, information and visual representations of a victim are subject to the following:

(a) The home address, home telephone number, work address, and work telephone number of the victim are exempt from disclosure under the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246, unless the address is used to identify the place of the crime.

(b) A picture, photograph, drawing, or other visual representation, including any film, videotape, or digitally stored image of the victim, are exempt from disclosure under the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246, and, if the picture, photograph, drawing, or other visual representation is from a court proceeding that is made available to the public through streaming on the internet or other means, the picture, photograph, drawing, or visual representation may be blurred.

 

(c) The following information concerning a victim of child abuse, criminal sexual conduct, assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct, or a similar crime who was less than 18 years of age when the crime was committed is exempt from disclosure under the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246:

(i) The victim’s name and address.

(ii) The name and address of an immediate family member or relative of the victim, who has the same surname as the victim, other than the name and address of the accused.

(iii) Any other information that would tend to reveal the identity of the victim, including a reference to the victim’s familial or other relationship to the accused.

(4) Subsection (3) does not preclude the release of information to a victim advocacy organization or agency for the purpose of providing victim services.

 

Sec. 38. (1) Based upon the victim’s reasonable apprehension of acts or threats of physical violence or intimidation by the juvenile or at the juvenile’s direction against the victim or the victim’s immediate family, the prosecuting attorney may move or, in the absence of a prosecuting attorney, the victim may request that the victim or any other witness not be compelled to testify at any court hearing for purposes of identifying the victim as to the victim’s address, place of employment, or other personal identification without the victim’s consent. A hearing on the motion must be in camera.

(2) Under section 24 of article I of the state constitution of 1963, guaranteeing to crime victims the right to be treated with respect for their dignity and privacy, the following information and visual representations of a victim are subject to the following:

(a) The home address, home telephone number, work address, and work telephone number of the victim are exempt from disclosure under the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246.

(b) A picture, photograph, drawing, or other visual representation, including any film, videotape, or digitally stored image of the victim, are exempt from disclosure under the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246, and, if the picture, photograph, drawing, or other visual representation is from a court proceeding that is made available to the public through streaming on the internet or other means, the picture, photograph, drawing, or visual representation may be blurred.

(c) The following information concerning a victim of child abuse, criminal sexual conduct, assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct, or a similar crime who was less than 18 years of age when the crime was committed is exempt from disclosure under the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246:

(i) The victim’s name and address.

(ii) The name and address of an immediate family member or relative of the victim, who has the same surname as the victim, other than the name and address of the accused.

(iii) Any other information that would tend to reveal the identity of the victim, including a reference to the victim’s familial or other relationship to the accused.

(3) Subsection (2) does not preclude the release of information to a victim advocacy organization or agency for the purpose of providing victim services.

 

Sec. 68. (1) Based upon the victim’s reasonable apprehension of acts or threats of physical violence or intimidation by the defendant or at defendant’s direction against the victim or the victim’s immediate family, the prosecuting attorney may move that the victim or any other witness not be compelled to testify at pretrial proceedings or at trial for purposes of identifying the victim as to the victim’s address, place of employment, or other personal identification without the victim’s consent. A hearing on the motion must be in camera.

(2) Under section 24 of article I of the state constitution of 1963, guaranteeing to crime victims the right to be treated with respect for their dignity and privacy, information and visual representations of a victim are subject to the following:

(a) The home address, home telephone number, work address, and work telephone number of the victim are exempt from disclosure under the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246.

(b) A picture, photograph, drawing, or other visual representation, including any film, videotape, or digitally stored image of the victim, are exempt from disclosure under the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246, and, if the picture, photograph, drawing, or other visual representation is from a court proceeding that is made available to the public through streaming on the internet or other means, the picture, photograph, drawing, or visual representation may be blurred.

(c) The following information concerning a victim of child abuse, criminal sexual conduct, assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct, or a similar crime who was less than 18 years of age when the crime was committed is exempt from disclosure under the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246:

(i) The victim’s name and address.

(ii) The name and address of an immediate family member or relative of the victim, who has the same surname as the victim, other than the name and address of the accused.

(iii) Any other information that would tend to reveal the identity of the victim, including a reference to the victim’s familial or other relationship to the accused.

(3) Subsection (2) does not preclude the release of information to a victim advocacy organization or agency for the purpose of providing victim services.

 

Clerk of the House of Representatives

 

Secretary of the Senate

Approved___________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Governor