HB 1330 -- Court Costs and Law Enforcement Investigations

Sponsor:  Baker (25)

This bill changes the laws regarding the procedures required in
law enforcement investigations.  The bill:

(1)  Assesses a $5 surcharge in each criminal court proceeding
with $4 being deposited into the Missouri Laboratory Oversight
Committee Revolving Fund, created in the bill to fund DNA testing
of currently incarcerated individuals, provide accreditation
testing and auditing of crime laboratory facilities in Missouri,
and purchase new equipment and provide training to crime lab
personnel, and $1 into the Justice Improvement Fund, created in
the bill to be used for administrative costs;

(2)  Requires that any interview, conducted at a police facility,
of a witness or suspect during an investigation for the crimes of
first-degree or second-degree murder or voluntary or involuntary
manslaughter will be electronically recorded;

(3)  Establishes a preference for video electronic recording of
witness and suspect statements;

(4)  Requires the law enforcement officer in charge of a criminal
investigation to certify a list of all witnesses' names,
addresses, and phone numbers within 10 days of presentment to the
prosecutor of the police investigation;

(5)  Requires the Director of the Department of Public Safety to
provide a standardized witness evidence form for use by law
enforcement in cases where an individual was observed but the
identify is unknown by the witness at the time of the crime and
to promulgate an eyewitness evidence protocol;

(6)  Establishes the seven-member Missouri Laboratory Oversight
Committee to provide independent review of state crime laboratory
operations;

(7)  Requires every crime lab report to be signed by the
individual that conducted the test described with an attached
listing of accreditation by any outside agencies;

(8)  Requires every crime lab to keep documentation of testing
methodologies, internal auditing procedure records, and records
relating to instrument testing and maintenance; and

(9)  Requires the director to create a standard salary
compensation level for law enforcement officers.

Missouri House of Representatives
93rd General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated November 29, 2006 at 9:42 am