Senate Bill sb0078Bc1

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    Florida Senate - 2001                           CS for SB 78-B

    By the Committee on Criminal Justice; and Senators
    Brown-Waite, Smith and Crist




    307-477D-02

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the detention of material

  3         witnesses; authorizing circuit judges to order

  4         the detention of certain material witnesses for

  5         a prescribed period of time under specified

  6         circumstances; specifying when hearing must be

  7         held; providing for right to counsel; providing

  8         that requirements relating to detention of

  9         certain material witnesses do not abrogate

10         common law; providing that detention of certain

11         material witnesses is not an arrest for

12         purposes of an employment application or

13         application for professional licensure;

14         providing for the future expiration of

15         provisions granting such authority; providing

16         an effective date.

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18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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20         Section 1.  (1)  Upon application filed under the

21  authority of the Governor, the Attorney General, the statewide

22  prosecutor, or a state attorney, supported by affidavit filed

23  by the Department of Law Enforcement that the testimony of a

24  person is material in a criminal investigation or other

25  proceeding involving a suspected or charged violation of state

26  law which relates to an act of terrorism or is in furtherance

27  of an act of terrorism and that it may become impracticable to

28  secure the presence of that person by subpoena, the circuit

29  judge before whom the application is pending may order the

30  detention of that person for a period of time not to exceed 4

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    Florida Senate - 2001                           CS for SB 78-B
    307-477D-02




  1  calendar days upon a finding that detention is necessary to

  2  prevent a failure of justice.

  3         (2)  As used in this section, the term:

  4         (a)  "Failure of justice" means that a serious risk

  5  exists that the witness will flee or will obstruct or attempt

  6  to obstruct justice or threaten, injure, or intimidate, or

  7  attempt to threaten, injure, or intimidate another prospective

  8  witness or any other person or that the witness poses a

  9  serious risk to the safety of any other person or the

10  community.

11         (b)  "Terrorism" means an activity that:

12         1.  Involves a violent act or act dangerous to human

13  life which is a violation of the criminal laws of this state

14  or of the United States; and

15         2.  Appears to be intended to:

16         a.  Intimidate, injure, or coerce a civilian

17  population;

18         b.  Influence the policy of a government by

19  intimidation or coercion; or

20         c.  Affect the conduct of government through

21  destruction of property, assassination, murder, or kidnapping.

22         (3)(a)  The circuit judge to whom application is made

23  to detain a material witness shall review the application and

24  may order the detention of the witness as provided in this

25  section if the criminal investigation or other proceeding

26  involves a suspected or charged violation of state law which

27  relates to an act of terrorism or in furtherance of an act of

28  terrorism and shall set out in a written order findings that

29  justify the disposition of the application.

30         (b)  Not later than 48 hours after being detained, the

31  material witness is entitled to a hearing before the circuit

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    Florida Senate - 2001                           CS for SB 78-B
    307-477D-02




  1  judge who issued the order of detention to determine whether

  2  further detention is necessary to prevent a failure of

  3  justice. In order for the court to direct the continued

  4  detention of the material witness, the court must issue a

  5  written order of detention which contains findings that

  6  justify the continued detention of the material witness.

  7         (c)  Evidence offered in support of an application for

  8  an order of detention or offered at the hearing conducted to

  9  determine whether further detention is necessary must be clear

10  and convincing.

11         (4)  A person subject to possible temporary detention

12  under this section shall have the right to retain counsel

13  during the proceeding to determine whether such detention is

14  appropriate. If the person desires counsel but is indigent,

15  the court shall appoint counsel if it finds that the person is

16  indigent.

17         (5)  Nothing contained in this section abrogates any

18  rights recognized by the courts under common law.

19         (6)  This section expires July 1, 2004.

20         Section 2.  A detention as a material witness in a

21  criminal investigation or other proceeding involving a

22  suspected or charged violation of state law relating to an act

23  of terrorism or in furtherance of an act of terrorism is not

24  an arrest for purposes of an employment application or

25  application for professional licensure.

26         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

27  law.

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    Florida Senate - 2001                           CS for SB 78-B
    307-477D-02




  1          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
  2                         Senate Bill 78-B

  3

  4  -     Provides a definition of the term "terrorism."

  5  -     Provides for application to detain for up to 4 days a
          person who has testimony material to a criminal
  6        investigation or other proceeding involving a suspected
          or charged violation of state law which relates to an
  7        act of terrorism or is in furtherance of an act of
          terrorism, subject to specified requirements being met
  8        upon a showing of clear and convincing evidence.

  9  -     Provides for process of applying for detention and for a
          hearing on further detention.
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    -     Defines key term.
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    -     Requires that hearing on further detention be held no
12        later than 48 hours after being detained.

13  -     Provides for right to counsel at the detention hearing.

14  -     Provides that requirements relating to detention of
          certain material witnesses do not abrogate common law.
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    -     Provides that detention as a material witness is not an
16        arrest for purposes of an employment application or
          application for professional licensure.
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