S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5284
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
March 7, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WALKER -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Codes
AN ACT to amend the criminal procedure law and the family court act, in
relation to statements of those accused of crimes to enhance criminal
investigations and prosecutions and to promote confidence in the crim-
inal justice system of this state
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 60.45 of the criminal procedure
law, as added by section 1 of part VVV of chapter 59 of the laws of
2017, is amended to read as follows:
3. (a) [Where] WHEN a person is subject to [custodial] interrogation
by a public servant [at a detention facility], AND THE PUBLIC SERVANT IS
AWARE OR HAS REASON TO SUSPECT THAT THE PERSON INTERROGATED COMMITTED A
CRIME UNDER INVESTIGATION BY SUCH PUBLIC SERVANT OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT
ENTITY ASSOCIATED WITH SUCH PUBLIC SERVANT, the entire [custodial]
interrogation, including the giving of any required advice of the rights
of the individual being questioned, and the waiver of any rights by the
individual, shall be recorded by an appropriate video recording device
[if the interrogation involves a class A-1 felony, except one defined in
article two hundred twenty of the penal law; felony offenses defined in
section 130.95 and 130.96 of the penal law; or a felony offense defined
in article one hundred twenty-five or one hundred thirty of such law
that is defined as a class B violent felony offense in section 70.02 of
the penal law. For purposes of this paragraph, the term "detention
facility" shall mean a police station, correctional facility, holding
facility for prisoners, prosecutor's office or other facility where
persons are held in detention in connection with criminal charges that
have been or may be filed against them]. THE INTERROGATION SHALL BE
RECORDED IN A MANNER SUCH THAT THE PERSONS IN THE RECORDING ARE SHOWN
AND THE SPEECH IS INTELLIGIBLE.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02247-01-3
A. 5284 2
(b) [No confession, admission or other statement shall be subject to a
motion to suppress pursuant to subdivision three of section 710.20 of
this chapter based solely upon the failure to video record such interro-
gation in a detention facility as defined in paragraph (a) of this
subdivision. However, where] WHEN the people offer into evidence AGAINST
A DEFENDANT a confession, admission or other statement made by a person
[in custody] with respect to [his or her participation or lack of
participation in] an ALLEGED offense [specified in paragraph (a) of this
subdivision,] that has not been video recorded, the court shall [consid-
er the failure to record as a factor, but not as the sole factor, in
accordance with paragraph (c) of this subdivision in determining whether
such confession, admission or other statement shall be admissible.
(c) Notwithstanding the requirement of paragraph (a) of this subdivi-
sion, upon a showing of good cause by the prosecutor, the custodial
interrogation need not be recorded. Good cause shall include, but not be
limited to:
(i) If electronic recording equipment malfunctions.
(ii) If electronic recording equipment is not available because it was
otherwise being used.
(iii) If statements are made in response to questions that are
routinely asked during arrest processing.
(iv) If the statement is spontaneously made by the suspect and not in
response to police questioning.
(v) If the statement is made during an interrogation that is conducted
when the interviewer is unaware that a qualifying offense has occurred.
(vi) If the statement is made at a location other than the "interview
room" because the suspect cannot be brought to such room, e.g., the
suspect is in a hospital or the suspect is out of state and that state
is not governed by a law requiring the recordation of an interrogation.
(vii) If the statement is made after a suspect has refused to partic-
ipate in the interrogation if it is recorded, and appropriate effort to
document such refusal is made.
(viii) If such statement is not recorded as a result of an inadvertent
error or oversight, not the result of any intentional conduct by law
enforcement personnel.
(ix) If it is law enforcement's reasonable belief that such recording
would jeopardize the safety of any person or reveal the identity of a
confidential informant.
(x) If such statement is made at a location not equipped with a video
recording device and the reason for using that location is not to
subvert the intent of the law. For purposes of this section, the term
"location" shall include those locations specified in paragraph (b) of
subdivision four of section 305.2 of the family court act.
(d) In the event the court finds that the people have not shown good
cause for the non-recording of the confession, admission, or other
statement, but determines that a non-recorded confession, admission or
other statement is nevertheless admissible because it was voluntarily
made then, upon request of the defendant, the court must instruct the
jury that the people's failure to record the defendant's confession,
admission or other statement as required by this section may be weighed
as a factor, but not as the sole factor, in determining whether such
confession, admission or other statement was voluntarily made, or was
made at all.
(e) Video recording as required by this section shall be conducted in
accordance with standards established by rule of the division of crimi-
A. 5284 3
nal justice services] EXCLUDE SUCH CONFESSION, ADMISSION OR OTHER STATE-
MENT FROM USE AS EVIDENCE AT TRIAL OR AT ANY PRETRIAL HEARING.
§ 2. Subdivisions 5-a and 8 of section 305.2 of the family court act,
subdivision 5-a as added and subdivision 8 as amended by chapter 299 of
the laws of 2020, are amended to read as follows:
5-a. [Where] WHEN AT ANY TIME a child is subject to interrogation [at
a facility designated by the chief administrator of the courts as a
suitable place for the questioning of juveniles pursuant to subdivision
four of this section,] BY A PUBLIC SERVANT AND THE PUBLIC SERVANT IS
AWARE OR HAS REASON TO SUSPECT THAT THE CHILD INTERROGATED COMMITTED AN
ACT THAT WOULD BE A CRIME IF COMMITTED BY AN ADULT AND WHICH IS UNDER
INVESTIGATION BY SUCH PUBLIC SERVANT OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITY ASSOCI-
ATED WITH SUCH PUBLIC SERVANT, the entire interrogation, including the
giving of any required notice to the child as to his or her rights and
the child's waiver of any rights, shall be video recorded [in a manner
consistent with standards established by rule of the division of crimi-
nal justice services pursuant to paragraph (e)] AND GOVERNED IN ACCORD-
ANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS of subdivision three of section 60.45 of the
criminal procedure law. The interrogation shall be recorded in a manner
such that the persons in the recording are [identifiable] SHOWN and the
speech is intelligible. A copy of the recording shall be subject to
discovery pursuant to section 331.2 of this article. THIS SUBDIVISION
SHALL NOT APPLY TO A STATEMENT MADE TO THE PROBATION SERVICE, IN ACCORD-
ANCE WITH SUBDIVISION SEVEN OF SECTION 308.1 OF THIS PART, EXCEPT WHEN
SUCH STATEMENT MAY BE ADMISSIBLE UNDER SUCH SUBDIVISION SEVEN OF SECTION
308.1.
8. In determining the suitability of questioning and determining the
reasonable period of time for questioning such a child, the child's age,
the presence or absence of his or her parents or other persons legally
responsible for his or her care, notification pursuant to subdivision
three OF THIS SECTION and, where the child has been interrogated at a
facility designated by the chief administrator of the courts as a suit-
able place for the questioning of juveniles, whether the interrogation
was in compliance with the video-recording and disclosure requirements
of subdivision five-a of this section shall be included among relevant
considerations.
§ 3. Subdivision 3 of section 344.2 of the family court act, as
amended by chapter 299 of the laws of 2020, is amended to read as
follows:
3. [Where a respondent] WHEN AT ANY TIME A CHILD is subject to inter-
rogation by a public servant [at a facility specified in subdivision
four of section 305.2 of this article,] AND THE PUBLIC SERVANT IS AWARE
OR HAS REASON TO SUSPECT THAT THE CHILD INTERROGATED COMMITTED AN ACT
THAT WOULD CONSTITUTE A CRIME IF COMMITTED BY AN ADULT AND WHICH IS
UNDER INVESTIGATION BY SUCH PUBLIC SERVANT OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITY
ASSOCIATED WITH SUCH PUBLIC SERVANT, the entire [custodial] interro-
gation, including the giving of any required [advice of the] NOTICE TO
THIS CHILD AS TO HIS OR HER rights [of the individual being questioned,]
and [the] HIS OR HER waiver of any rights [by the individual], shall be
VIDEO recorded and governed in [a manner consistent with standards
established by rule of the division of criminal justice services pursu-
ant to paragraph (e)] ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS of subdivision
three of section 60.45 of the criminal procedure law. The interrogation
shall be recorded in a manner such that the persons in the recording are
[identifiable] SHOWN and the speech is intelligible. A copy of the
recording shall be subject to discovery pursuant to section 331.2 of
A. 5284 4
this article. THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL NOT APPLY TO A STATEMENT MADE TO
THE PROBATION SERVICE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION SEVEN OF SECTION
308.1 OF THIS ARTICLE, EXCEPT WHEN SUCH STATEMENT MAY BE ADMISSIBLE
UNDER SUCH SUBDIVISION SEVEN OF SECTION 308.1.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law.