Senate Committee on Judiciary (04/06/2015)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

SENATE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

Date:	04/06/2015	ATTENDANCE

Time:	01:29 PM to 01:56 PM	Cooke	X
		Guzman	X
Place:	SCR 352	Merrifield	*
		Lundberg	*
This Meeting was called to order by		Roberts	X
	Senator Roberts

This Report was prepared by
	Conrad Imel
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
HB15-1042		Referred to the Committee of the Whole

01:29 PM -- HB15-1042

Senator Cooke, sponsor, presented House Bill 15-1042, concerning requiring presentence reports to include a statement concerning a defendant's eligibility for release from incarceration. Senator Cooke discussed presentence reports generally, and explained that the bill required certain information to be included in a presentence report. Senator Cooke explained that the information in the report would assist victims of crime.

01:33 PM -- Mr. Ray Harlan, representing Colorado Victims for Justice, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Harlan explained that Colorado Victims for Justice members unanimously support the bill. He also discussed his family's experience with violence and court proceedings surrounding those events, including sentencing and incarceration. Mr. Harlan explained that the information required under the bill would help victims, prosecutors, and judges make informed sentencing decisions.

01:41 PM -- Ms. Leanna Stoufer, representing Colorado Victims for Justice, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Stoufer discussed her experience with domestic violence, including plea bargaining, sentencing, and parole eligibility for the offender. Ms. Stoufer explained how receiving incorrect information regarding her situation has affected her.

01:51 PM -- Ms. Christina Everist, representing the Department of Corrections (DOC), made herself available for questions. In response to a question, Ms. Everist explained that the DOC has worked with the sponsors of the bill to ensure accuracy, suggested technical amendments that were adopted by the House of Representatives, and stated that the DOC did not have an official position on the bill.

01:53 PM -- Ms. Lydia Waligorski, representing the Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Waligorski explained the benefits of the bill for victims.

01:54 PM

Senator Cooke provided closing remarks on the bill and asked for the committee's support.


BILL:	HB15-1042
TIME:	01:56:01 PM
MOVED:	Cooke
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 15-1042 to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a vote of 5-0.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Cooke	Yes
	Guzman	Yes
	Merrifield	Yes
	Lundberg	Yes
	Roberts	Yes


Final YES: 5 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

01:56 PM

The committee adjourned.