Report Title:

Electronic Monitoring; Protective Order Violations

 

Description:

Allows the courts to require electronic monitoring of persons convicted of violating a domestic abuse temporary restraining order or protective order.  Appropriates funds for offenders who cannot afford to pay for costs associated with the monitoring device.  (HB2766 HD1)

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2766

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT


 

 

RELATING TO ELECTRONIC MONITORING.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  Section 586-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (e) to read as follows:

     "(e)  When a temporary restraining order is granted and the respondent or person to be restrained knows of the order, a knowing or intentional violation of the restraining order is a misdemeanor.  A person convicted under this [section] subsection shall undergo domestic violence intervention at any available domestic violence program as ordered by the court.  The court additionally shall sentence a person convicted under this [section] subsection as follows:

     (1)  For a first conviction for violation of the temporary restraining order, the person shall serve a mandatory minimum jail sentence of forty-eight hours and be fined not less than $150 nor more than $500; provided that the court shall not sentence a defendant to pay a fine unless the defendant is or will be able to pay the fine; and

     (2)  For the second and any subsequent conviction for violation of the temporary restraining order, the person shall serve a mandatory minimum jail sentence of thirty days and be fined not less than $250 nor more than $1,000; provided that the court shall not sentence a defendant to pay a fine unless the defendant is or will be able to pay the fine.

     Upon conviction and sentencing of the defendant, the court shall order that the defendant immediately be incarcerated to serve the mandatory minimum sentence imposed; provided that the defendant may be admitted to bail pending appeal pursuant to chapter 804.  The court may stay the imposition of the sentence if special circumstances exist.

     The court may suspend any jail sentence, except for the mandatory sentences under paragraphs (1) and (2), upon condition that the defendant remain alcohol and drug-free, conviction-free, or complete court-ordered assessments or intervention.  Nothing in this [section] subsection shall be construed as limiting the discretion of the judge to impose additional sanctions authorized in sentencing for a misdemeanor.

     In addition to the penalties provided for in this section, as a condition of probation, the court may prohibit contact with the victim through the establishment of court-defined geographic exclusion zones known to the defendant including the areas in and around the complainant's residence, place of employment, and the complainant's child's school, and order that the defendant wear a global positioning satellite tracking device designed to transmit and record the defendant's location data.  If the defendant enters a court-defined exclusion zone, the defendant's location data shall be immediately transmitted to the complainant, and to the police, through an appropriate means including the telephone, an electronic beeper, or a paging device.  The global positioning satellite device and its tracking shall be administered by the court.  If a court finds that the defendant has entered a geographic exclusion zone, it shall revoke the probation and the defendant shall be fined, imprisoned, or both, as provided in this subsection.  Based on the defendant's ability to pay, the court may also order the defendant to pay the monthly costs or a portion thereof for monitoring through the global positioning satellite tracking system."

     SECTION 2.  Section 586-11, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

     "(a)  Whenever an order for protection is granted pursuant to this chapter, a respondent or person to be restrained who knowingly or intentionally violates the order for protection is guilty of a misdemeanor.  A person convicted under this [section] subsection shall undergo domestic violence intervention at any available domestic violence program as ordered by the court.  The court additionally shall sentence a person convicted under this [section] subsection as follows:

     (1)  For a first conviction for violation of the order for protection:

         (A)  That is in the nature of non-domestic abuse, the person may be sentenced to a jail sentence of forty-eight hours and be fined not more than $150; provided that the court shall not sentence a defendant to pay a fine unless the defendant is or will be able to pay the fine;

         (B)  That is in the nature of domestic abuse, the person shall be sentenced to a mandatory minimum jail sentence of not less than forty-eight hours and be fined not less than $150 nor more than $500; provided that the court shall not sentence a defendant to pay a fine unless the defendant is or will be able to pay the fine;

     (2)  For a second conviction for violation of the order for protection:

         (A)  That is in the nature of non-domestic abuse, and occurs after a first conviction for violation of the same order that was in the nature of non-domestic abuse, the person shall be sentenced to a mandatory minimum jail sentence of not less than forty-eight hours and be fined not more than $250; provided that the court shall not sentence a defendant to pay a fine unless the defendant is or will be able to pay the fine;

         (B)  That is in the nature of domestic abuse, and occurs after a first conviction for violation of the same order that was in the nature of domestic abuse, the person shall be sentenced to a mandatory minimum jail sentence of not less than thirty days and be fined not less than $250 nor more than $1,000; provided that the court shall not sentence a defendant to pay a fine unless the defendant is or will be able to pay the fine;

         (C)  That is in the nature of non-domestic abuse, and occurs after a first conviction for violation of the same order that was in the nature of domestic abuse, the person shall be sentenced to a mandatory minimum jail sentence of not less than forty-eight hours and be fined not more than $250; provided that the court shall not sentence a defendant to pay a fine unless the defendant is or will be able to pay the fine;

         (D)  That is in the nature of domestic abuse, and occurs after a first conviction for violation of the same order that is in the nature of non-domestic abuse, the person shall be sentenced to a mandatory minimum jail sentence of not less than forty-eight hours and be fined not more than $150; provided that the court shall not sentence a defendant to pay a fine unless the defendant is or will be able to pay the fine;

     (3)  For any subsequent violation that occurs after a second conviction for violation of the same order for protection, the person shall be sentenced to a mandatory minimum jail sentence of not less than thirty days and be fined not less than $250 nor more than $1,000; provided that the court shall not sentence a defendant to pay a fine unless the defendant is or will be able to pay the fine.

     Upon conviction and sentencing of the defendant, the court shall order that the defendant immediately be incarcerated to serve the mandatory minimum sentence imposed; provided that the defendant may be admitted to bail pending appeal pursuant to chapter 804.  The court may stay the imposition of the sentence if special circumstances exist.

     The court may suspend any jail sentence under subparagraphs (1)(A) and (2)(C), upon condition that the defendant remain alcohol and drug-free, conviction-free, or complete court-ordered assessments or intervention.  Nothing in this [section] subsection shall be construed as limiting the discretion of the judge to impose additional sanctions authorized in sentencing for a misdemeanor offense.  All remedies for the enforcement of judgments shall apply to this chapter.

     In addition to the penalties provided for in this subsection, as a condition of probation, the court may prohibit contact with the victim through the establishment of court-defined geographic exclusion zones known to the defendant including the areas in and around the complainant's residence, place of employment, and the complainant's child's school, and order that the defendant wear a global positioning satellite tracking device designed to transmit and record the defendant's location data.  If the defendant enters a court-defined exclusion zone, the defendant's location data shall be immediately transmitted to the complainant, and to the police, through an appropriate means including the telephone, an electronic beeper, or a paging device.  The global positioning satellite device and its tracking shall be administered by the court.  If a court finds that the defendant has entered a geographic exclusion zone, it shall revoke the probation and the defendant shall be fined, imprisoned, or both, as provided in this subsection.  Based on the defendant's ability to pay, the court may also order the defendant to pay the monthly costs or portion thereof for monitoring through the global positioning satellite tracking system."

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $         or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 to pay for global positioning satellite tracking devices and other costs of tracking a defendant's location in cases where a defendant is unable to pay for those costs.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the judiciary for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun, before its effective date.

     SECTION 5.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.