| 14 | | - | 1 |
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| 15 | | - | An act relating to victims of crime; amending s. 2 |
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| 16 | | - | 92.55, F.S.; requiring a court to conduct a hearing to 3 |
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| 17 | | - | determine whether the taking of a deposition of a 4 |
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| 18 | | - | victim of a sexual offense who is under the age of 16 5 |
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| 19 | | - | is appropriate; creating a presumption that a 6 |
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| 20 | | - | deposition of a victim of a sexual offense who is 7 |
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| 21 | | - | under the age of 12 is not appropriate in specified 8 |
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| 22 | | - | circumstances; providing factors a court may consider 9 |
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| 23 | | - | in determining whether any limitations or other 10 |
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| 24 | | - | specific conditions on the taking of a deposition are 11 |
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| 25 | | - | appropriate; requiring the court to enter a written 12 |
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| 26 | | - | order including specified information; amending s. 13 |
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| 27 | | - | 960.001, F.S.; requiring a victim to be notified th at 14 |
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| 28 | | - | he or she has the right to be informed of specified 15 |
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| 29 | | - | information when contacted by certain persons acting 16 |
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| 30 | | - | on behalf of a defendant in a criminal proceeding; 17 |
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| 31 | | - | providing an effective date. 18 |
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| 32 | | - | 19 |
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| 33 | | - | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 20 |
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| 34 | | - | 21 |
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| 35 | | - | Section 1. Subsection (6) is added to section 92.55, 22 |
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| 36 | | - | Florida Statutes, to read: 23 |
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| 37 | | - | 92.55 Judicial or other proceedings involving victim or 24 |
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| 38 | | - | witness under the age of 18, a person who has an intellectual 25 |
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| 39 | | - | ENROLLED |
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| 40 | | - | CS/HB 667, Engrossed 1 2023 Legislature |
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| 14 | + | A bill to be entitled 1 |
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| 15 | + | An act relating to victim's right to candor in 2 |
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| 16 | + | criminal proceedings; amending s. 960.001, F.S.; 3 |
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| 17 | + | requiring a victim to be notified that he or she has 4 |
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| 18 | + | the right to be informed of specified information when 5 |
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| 19 | + | contacted by certain persons acting on behalf of a 6 |
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| 20 | + | defendant in a criminal proceeding; providing an 7 |
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| 21 | + | effective date. 8 |
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| 22 | + | 9 |
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| 23 | + | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 10 |
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| 24 | + | 11 |
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| 25 | + | Section 1. Paragraph (v) is a dded to subsection (1) of 12 |
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| 26 | + | section 960.001, Florida Statutes, to read: 13 |
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| 27 | + | 960.001 Guidelines for fair treatment of victims and 14 |
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| 28 | + | witnesses in the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems. — 15 |
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| 29 | + | (1) The Department of Legal Affairs, the state attorneys, 16 |
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| 30 | + | the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile 17 |
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| 31 | + | Justice, the Florida Commission on Offender Review, the State 18 |
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| 32 | + | Courts Administrator and circuit court administrators, the 19 |
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| 33 | + | Department of Law Enforcement, and every sheriff's department, 20 |
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| 34 | + | police department, o r other law enforcement agency as defined in 21 |
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| 35 | + | s. 943.10(4) shall develop and implement guidelines for the use 22 |
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| 36 | + | of their respective agencies, which guidelines are consistent 23 |
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| 37 | + | with the purposes of this act and s. 16(b), Art. I of the State 24 |
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| 38 | + | Constitution and are designed to implement s. 16(b), Art. I of 25 |
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| 39 | + | |
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| 40 | + | CS/HB 667 2023 |
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| 51 | | - | disability, or a sexual offense victim or witness; speci al 26 |
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| 52 | | - | protections; use of therapy animals or facility dogs. — 27 |
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| 53 | | - | (6)(a) In any criminal proceeding, before the defendant 28 |
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| 54 | | - | may take a discovery deposition of a victim of a sexual offense 29 |
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| 55 | | - | who is under the age of 16, the court must conduct a hearing to 30 |
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| 56 | | - | determine whether it is appropriate to take a deposition of the 31 |
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| 57 | | - | victim and, if so, whether to order any limitations or other 32 |
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| 58 | | - | specific conditions under which the victim's deposition may be 33 |
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| 59 | | - | conducted. 34 |
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| 60 | | - | (b) Except as provided in paragraph (c), in determining 35 |
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| 61 | | - | whether it is appropriate to take a deposition of a victim of a 36 |
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| 62 | | - | sexual offense who is under the age of 16, the court must 37 |
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| 63 | | - | consider: 38 |
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| 64 | | - | 1. The mental and physical age and maturity of the victim. 39 |
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| 65 | | - | 2. The nature and duration of the offense. 40 |
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| 66 | | - | 3. The relationship of the victim to the defendant. 41 |
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| 67 | | - | 4. The complexity of the issues involved. 42 |
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| 68 | | - | 5. Whether the evidence sought is reasonably available by 43 |
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| 69 | | - | other means, including whether the victim was the subject of a 44 |
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| 70 | | - | forensic interview related to the sexual offense. 45 |
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| 71 | | - | 6. Any other factors the court deems relevant to ensure 46 |
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| 72 | | - | the protection of the victim and the integrity of the judicial 47 |
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| 73 | | - | process. 48 |
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| 74 | | - | (c) If the victim of a sexual offense is under the age of 49 |
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| 75 | | - | 12, there is a presumption that the taking of the victim's 50 |
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| 76 | | - | ENROLLED |
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| 77 | | - | CS/HB 667, Engrossed 1 2023 Legislature |
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| 78 | | - | |
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| 79 | | - | |
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| 80 | | - | |
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| 81 | | - | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
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| 82 | | - | hb0667-03-er |
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| 83 | | - | Page 3 of 4 |
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| 84 | | - | F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S |
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| 85 | | - | |
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| 86 | | - | |
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| 87 | | - | |
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| 88 | | - | deposition is not ap propriate if: 51 |
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| 89 | | - | 1. The state has not filed a notice of intent to seek the 52 |
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| 90 | | - | death penalty; and 53 |
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| 91 | | - | 2. A forensic interview of the sexual offense victim is 54 |
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| 92 | | - | available to the defendant. 55 |
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| 93 | | - | (d) If the court determines the taking of the victim's 56 |
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| 94 | | - | deposition is appropriate, in addition to any other condition 57 |
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| 95 | | - | required by law, the court may order limitations or other 58 |
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| 96 | | - | specific conditions including, but not limited to: 59 |
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| 97 | | - | 1. Requiring the defendant to submit questions to the 60 |
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| 98 | | - | court before the victim's dep osition. 61 |
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| 99 | | - | 2. Setting the appropriate place and conditions under 62 |
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| 100 | | - | which the victim's deposition may be conducted. 63 |
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| 101 | | - | 3. Permitting or prohibiting the attendance of any person 64 |
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| 102 | | - | at the victim's deposition. 65 |
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| 103 | | - | 4. Limiting the duration of the victim's deposition. 66 |
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| 104 | | - | 5. Any other condition the court finds just and 67 |
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| 105 | | - | appropriate. 68 |
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| 106 | | - | (e) The court must enter a written order finding whether 69 |
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| 107 | | - | the taking of the deposition of the victim is appropriate. If 70 |
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| 108 | | - | the court finds that the taking of the deposition of the victim 71 |
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| 109 | | - | is appropriate, the order must include any limitations or other 72 |
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| 110 | | - | specific conditions under which the victim's deposition must be 73 |
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| 111 | | - | conducted. 74 |
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| 112 | | - | Section 2. Paragraph (v) is added to subsection (1) of 75 |
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| 113 | | - | ENROLLED |
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| 114 | | - | CS/HB 667, Engrossed 1 2023 Legislature |
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| 115 | | - | |
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| 116 | | - | |
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| 117 | | - | |
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| 118 | | - | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
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| 119 | | - | hb0667-03-er |
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| 120 | | - | Page 4 of 4 |
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| 121 | | - | F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S |
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| 122 | | - | |
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| 123 | | - | |
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| 124 | | - | |
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| 125 | | - | section 960.001, Florida Statutes, to read: 76 |
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| 126 | | - | 960.001 Guidelines for fair treatment of victims and 77 |
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| 127 | | - | witnesses in the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems. — 78 |
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| 128 | | - | (1) The Department of Legal Affairs, the state attorneys, 79 |
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| 129 | | - | the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile 80 |
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| 130 | | - | Justice, the Florida Commission on Offe nder Review, the State 81 |
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| 131 | | - | Courts Administrator and circuit court administrators, the 82 |
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| 132 | | - | Department of Law Enforcement, and every sheriff's department, 83 |
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| 133 | | - | police department, or other law enforcement agency as defined in 84 |
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| 134 | | - | s. 943.10(4) shall develop and implement guide lines for the use 85 |
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| 135 | | - | of their respective agencies, which guidelines are consistent 86 |
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| 136 | | - | with the purposes of this act and s. 16(b), Art. I of the State 87 |
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| 137 | | - | Constitution and are designed to implement s. 16(b), Art. I of 88 |
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| 138 | | - | the State Constitution and to achieve the followi ng objectives: 89 |
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| 139 | | - | (v) Victim's right to candor .–Each victim must be notified 90 |
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| 140 | | - | that he or she has the right, if contacted to obtain information 91 |
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| 141 | | - | relating to a criminal proceeding by an attorney, investigator, 92 |
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| 142 | | - | or any other agent acting on behalf of the criminal defendant, 93 |
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| 143 | | - | to be informed of: 94 |
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| 144 | | - | 1. The person's name and employer. 95 |
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| 145 | | - | 2. The fact that such person is acting on behalf of the 96 |
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| 146 | | - | defendant. 97 |
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| 147 | | - | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 98 |
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| 51 | + | the State Constitution and to achieve the following objectives: 26 |
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| 52 | + | (v) Victim's right to candor .–Each victim must be notified 27 |
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| 53 | + | that he or she has the right, if contacted to obtain information 28 |
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| 54 | + | relating to a criminal p roceeding by an attorney, investigator, 29 |
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| 55 | + | or any other agent acting on behalf of the criminal defendant, 30 |
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| 56 | + | to be informed of: 31 |
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| 57 | + | 1. The person's name and employer. 32 |
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| 58 | + | 2. The fact that such person is acting on behalf of the 33 |
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| 59 | + | defendant. 34 |
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| 60 | + | Section 2. This act shal l take effect July 1, 2023. 35 |
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