SLS 14RS-4488 ORIGINAL
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Regular Session, 2014
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 150
BY SENATOR MORRELL
CRIMINAL JUSTICE. Creates and provides relative to the Pretrial Service Commission.
A RESOLUTION1
To establish and provide for the Pretrial Service Commission to review the state's pretrial2
service laws and policies and to make recommendations for policy and legislative3
changes on or before February 1, 2015, that will assist in providing more effective4
pretrial decision-making.5
WHEREAS, each year twelve million people are booked into jails in the United6
States; and7
WHEREAS, most criminal defendants have a right to be released prior to trial, with8
exceptions made only for those accused of the most serious and dangerous crimes; and9
WHEREAS, many defendants stay in jail because they cannot meet the conditions10
of release, which often are monetary; and11
WHEREAS, courts determine conditions of release based on safety and flight risk,12
but usually have little information about the risks defendants pose to guide these pretrial13
decisions; and14
WHEREAS, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, legislators15
in eleven states now provide statewide guidance to judges in pretrial decision making.16
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana17
does hereby establish and provide for the Pretrial Service Commission to review the state's18 SR NO. 150
SLS 14RS-4488 ORIGINAL
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pretrial service laws and policies and to make recommendations for policy and legislative1
changes on or before February 1, 2015, that will assist in providing more effective pretrial2
decision-making.3
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Pretrial Service Commission shall consist4
of the following members:5
(1)The chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary B, or his designee.6
(2)The chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary C, or his designee.7
(3)The chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, or his designee.8
(4)The chairman of the House Committee on Administration of Criminal9
Justice, or his designee.10
(5)The chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, or her designee.11
(6)One representative appointed by the Louisiana District Attorney's12
Association.13
(7)One member appointed by the Louisiana Public Defender Board.14
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the15
chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary B, the chairman of the Senate Committee16
on Judiciary C, the chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, the chairman of the17
House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice, the chief justice of the Louisiana18
Supreme Court, the Louisiana District Attorney's Association, and the Louisiana Public19
Defender Board.20
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Cathy Wells.
DIGEST
Morrell SR No. 150
Establishes and provides for the Pretrial Service Commission to review the state's pretrial
service laws and policies and to make recommendations for policy and legislative changes
on or before Feb. 1, 2015, that will assist in providing more effective pretrial decision-
making.