| R 328 |
| 2018 -- S 2984 Enacted 06/20/2018 |
| S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N |
| CREATING A SPECIAL TASK FORCE TO INVESTIGATE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ANY CHANGES TO THE LAW, COURT RULES OR TO POLICIES AND PROCEDURES CURRENTLY IN PLACE TO ENHANCE THE TIMELY AND COMPLETE DISCLOSURE OF DISCOVERABLE MATERIAL IN CRIMINAL CASES |
| Introduced By: Senator Stephen R. Archambault |
| Date Introduced: June 20, 2018 |
| RESOLVED, That a special task force be and the same is hereby created consisting of |
| twelve (12) members: one of whom shall be the President of the Rhode Island Bar Association, or |
| designee; one of whom shall be the President of the Rhode Island Association of Criminal |
| Defense Lawyers, or designee; one of whom shall be the Dean of the Roger Williams University |
| School of Law, or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of the Rhode Island |
| Commission for Human Rights, or designee; one of whom shall be the Superintendent of the |
| Rhode Island State Police, or designee; one of whom shall be the Public Safety Commissioner for |
| the City of Providence, or designee; one of whom shall be the Rhode Island Attorney General, or |
| designee, who shall serve as Co-Chairperson of the Task Force; one of whom shall be the Rhode |
| Island Public Defender, or designee, who shall serve as Co-Chairperson of the Task Force; one of |
| whom shall be the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, or designee; one of whom shall be the |
| president of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs' Association, or designee; and two (2) of whom shall |
| be law enforcement representatives, one of whom shall be a Chief of Police from a department |
| with more than forty-five (45) sworn officers, and one of whom shall be a Police Chief from a |
| department with fewer than forty-five (45) sworn officers, to be appointed by the task force. |
| The purpose of said task force shall be to study and make recommendations, in |
| consultation with judges, practitioners, and appropriate experts in the field, any changes it deems |
| necessary to the law, court rules, or to policies and procedures currently in place, to enhance the |
| timely and complete disclosure of discoverable material in criminal cases. The task force may |
| also consider and make recommendations that include, but are not limited to, additional in-house |
| or outside training for attorneys and law enforcement personnel, promulgation of protocols to |
| enhance interagency cooperation, standardization of procedures, the sharing of information via |
| the internet or other secure electronic means and the potential use of sanctions to ensure |
| compliance. |
| Upon passage of this resolution, the members of the task force shall meet and organize at |
| the call of the Co-Chairpersons, no later than January 31, 2019. |
| Vacancies in said task force shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment. |
| The membership of said task force shall receive no compensation for their services. |
| The Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to provide |
| suitable quarters for said task force; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the task force shall report its findings and recommendations to the |
| President of the Senate, the Governor, the Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, the |
| Presiding Justice of the Superior Court, the Chief Judge of the District Court, and the Chief Judge |
| of the Family Court, no later than January 1, 2020. The task force shall meet periodically |
| thereafter, at the call of the Co-Chairpersons, in order to assess the impact of its |
| recommendations, and said task force shall expire on January 1, 2022. |
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| LC005901 |
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