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2012 SESSION

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HB 1060 Citizenship of arrestee; if accused is not committed to jail, arresting officer to ascertain.

Introduced by: Richard L. Anderson | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles | history

SUMMARY AS PASSED HOUSE:

Arresting officer to ascertain citizenship of arrestee.  Supplements the existing law that requires sheriffs to make a query into legal presence when a person is "taken into custody" at a jail. This bill expands such inquiries by requiring that an arresting officer inquire of every arrestee whether he is in the country legally. The bill further provides that when a law-enforcement officer believes that the person is not legally present in the United States, he shall communicate to the judicial officer the facts and circumstances underlying his belief.

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Arresting officer to ascertain citizenship of arrestee.  Supplements the existing law that requires sheriffs to make a query into legal presence when a person is "taken into custody" at a jail. This bill expands such inquiries by requiring inquiries of everyone arrested, independent of whether they were taken into custody at a jail, and requires that an arresting officer inquire of every arrestee whether he (i) was born in a country other than the United States and (ii) is a citizen of a country other than the United States. The bill further provides that when a warrantless arrest is made and the law-enforcement officer finds probable cause to believe that the person is not legally present in the United States, he shall communicate to the judicial officer the facts and circumstances underlying his belief. If the judicial officer concurs in the determination of the officer and finds probable cause to believe that the person will not appear for trial or hearing, the judicial officer may refuse to admit the person to bail.