HB-5763, As Passed House, July 1, 2010
SUBSTITUTE FOR
HOUSE BILL NO. 5763
A bill to amend 1927 PA 175, entitled
"The code of criminal procedure,"
(MCL 760.1 to 777.69) by adding sections 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 to
chapter III.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
CHAPTER III
Sec. 7. As used in this section and sections 8 to 10 of this
chapter:
(a) "Custodial detention" means an individual's being in a
place of detention because a law enforcement official has told the
individual that he or she is under arrest or because the
individual, under the totality of the circumstances, reasonably
could have believed that he or she is under a law enforcement
official's control and is not free to leave.
(b) "Interrogation" means questioning in a criminal
investigation that may elicit a self-incriminating response from an
individual and includes a law enforcement official's words or
actions that the law enforcement official should know are
reasonably likely to elicit a self-incriminating response from the
individual.
(c) "Law enforcement official" means any of the following:
(i) A police officer of this state or a political subdivision
of this state.
(ii) A county sheriff or his or her deputy.
(iii) A prosecuting attorney.
(iv) A public safety officer of a college or university.
(v) A conservation officer of the department of natural
resources and environment.
(vi) An individual acting under the direction of a law
enforcement official described in subparagraphs (i) to (v).
(d) "Major felony" means a felony punishable by imprisonment
for life, for life or any term of years, or for a statutory maximum
of 20 years or more, or a violation of section 520d of the Michigan
penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.520d.
(e) "Major felony recording" means the interrogation recording
required by section 8 of this chapter or a duplicate of that
recording.
(f) "Place of detention" means a police station, correctional
facility, or prisoner holding facility or another governmental
facility where an individual may be held in connection with a
criminal charge that has been or may be filed against the
individual.
Sec. 8. (1) A law enforcement official interrogating an
individual in custodial detention regarding the individual's
involvement in the commission of a major felony shall make a time-
stamped, audiovisual recording of the entire interrogation. A major
felony recording shall include the law enforcement official's
notification to the individual of the individual's Miranda rights.
(2) An individual who believes the individual's interrogation
is being recorded may object to having the interrogation recorded.
The individual's objection shall be documented either by the
individual's objection stated on the recording or the individual's
signature on a document stating the objection. If the individual
refuses to document the objection either by recording or signature,
a law enforcement official shall document the objection by a
recording or signed document. A major felony recording may be made
without the consent or knowledge of, or despite the objection of,
the individual being interrogated.
(3) A major felony recording shall be produced using equipment
and procedures that are designed to prevent alteration of the
recording's audio or visual record.
(4) Pursuant to any request of discovery, the prosecutor shall
provide a copy of the recorded statement to the defense counsel of
record or to the defendant if he or she is not represented by
defense counsel. The court shall not require the police or the
prosecutor to prepare or pay for a transcript of a recorded
statement. A court or the defense may have a transcript prepared at
its own expense.
(5) Prior to conviction or acquittal, a statement recorded
under this section is exempt from disclosure under the freedom of
information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246.
Sec. 9. Any failure to record a statement or to preserve a
recorded statement as required by section 8 of this chapter does
not prevent any law enforcement officer present during the taking
of the statement from testifying in court as to the circumstances
and content of the individual's statement if the court determines
that the statement is otherwise admissible. However, the jury shall
be instructed that it is the law of this state to record statements
of an individual in custodial detention who is under interrogation
for a major felony and that the jury may consider the absence of a
recording in evaluating the evidence relating to the individual's
statement.
Sec. 10. A failure to comply with sections 8 and 9 of this
chapter does not create a civil cause of action against a
department or individual. The requirement in section 8 of this
chapter to produce a major felony recording is a directive to
departments and law enforcement officials and not a right conferred
on an individual who is interrogated.
Sec. 11. (1) The commission on law enforcement standards shall
set quality standards for the audiovisual recording of statements
under this chapter and shall conduct an assessment of the initial
cost necessary for law enforcement agencies to purchase audiovisual
recording equipment. The first assessment shall be conducted within
120 days after the effective date of the amendatory act that added
this section. The commission on law enforcement standards shall
conduct subsequent assessments regarding the necessary costs of
purchasing, upgrading, or replacing the equipment every 2 years.
(2) The legislature shall annually appropriate funds to the
commission on law enforcement standards in the amount determined by
the commission's assessment performed under this section for
distribution to law enforcement agencies throughout the state to
allow the agencies to purchase audiovisual recording equipment for
purposes of this chapter.
(3) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (4), law
enforcement agencies shall implement sections 7 to 10 of this
chapter and this section within 120 days after receiving funds
under this section from the commission on law enforcement
standards.
(4) If a law enforcement agency has the audiovisual recording
equipment that complies with the standards of the commission on law
enforcement standards on the effective date of the amendatory act
that added this section, that law enforcement agency shall comply
with the provisions of this act within 60 days after the effective
date of the amendatory act that added this section.