Bill Text: IA HF581 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the confidentiality of search warrant information in a criminal case resulting in an acquittal or a dismissal. (Formerly HF 323.)

Sponsorship: Committee Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2017-04-07 - Placed on calendar under unfinished business. S.J. 930. [HF581 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2017-HF581-Introduced.html

House File 581 - Introduced




                                 HOUSE FILE       
                                 BY  COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC
                                     SAFETY

                                 (SUCCESSOR TO HF 323)

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to the confidentiality of search warrant
  2    information in a criminal case resulting in an acquittal or
  3    a dismissal.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
    TLSB 1111HV (2) 87
    rh/rj

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 808.13, Code 2017, is amended to read as
  1  2 follows:
  1  3    808.13  Confidentiality.
  1  4    1.  All Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, all
  1  5  information filed with the court for the purpose of securing
  1  6 a warrant for a search, including but not limited to an
  1  7 application and affidavits, shall be a confidential record
  1  8 until such time as a peace officer has executed the warrant
  1  9 and has made return thereon. During the period of time that
  1 10 information is confidential it shall be sealed by the court,
  1 11 and the information contained therein shall not be disseminated
  1 12 to any person other than a peace officer, magistrate, or
  1 13 another court employee, in the course of official duties.
  1 14    2.  a.  All information filed with the court for the purpose
  1 15 of securing a warrant for a search or seizure of property in
  1 16 a criminal case that results in an acquittal or the dismissal
  1 17 of all criminal charges, including a dismissal relating to a
  1 18 deferred judgment under section 907.9, upon such acquittal or
  1 19 dismissal, shall be a confidential record, shall be sealed by
  1 20 the court, and shall not be disseminated to any person other
  1 21 than a peace officer, county attorney, magistrate, or another
  1 22 court employee, in the course of official duties.
  1 23    b.  This subsection shall only apply to a warrant identifying
  1 24 one defendant and not multiple defendants.
  1 25                           EXPLANATION
  1 26 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  1 27 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  1 28    This bill relates to the confidentiality of search warrant
  1 29 information in a criminal case resulting in an acquittal or a
  1 30 dismissal.
  1 31    Under current law, all information filed with the court for
  1 32 the purpose of securing a search warrant is a confidential
  1 33 record until a peace officer has executed the warrant and
  1 34 has filed a return of service with the court.  During the
  1 35 confidentiality period, the information shall be sealed by the
  2  1 court and the information cannot be disseminated to any person
  2  2 other than a peace officer, county attorney, magistrate, or
  2  3 another court employee, in the course of official duties.
  2  4    The bill provides that all information filed with the court
  2  5 for the purpose of securing a warrant for a search or seizure
  2  6 of property in a criminal case that results in an acquittal or
  2  7 the dismissal of all criminal charges, including a dismissal
  2  8 relating to a deferred judgment under Code section 907.9, upon
  2  9 such acquittal or dismissal, shall be a confidential record,
  2 10 shall be sealed by the court, and shall not be disseminated to
  2 11 any person other than a peace officer, magistrate, or another
  2 12 court employee, in the course of official duties. The bill
  2 13 only applies to a warrant identifying one defendant and not
  2 14 multiple defendants.
       LSB 1111HV (2) 87
       rh/rj
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