Assembly Bill No. 294–Assemblyman Bache

 

CHAPTER..........

 

AN ACT relating to juveniles; providing that juveniles who are adjudicated delinquent for committing certain acts that would be crimes if committed by an adult may not have their records automatically sealed; making various other changes related to sealing of juvenile records; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

1-1    Section 1. NRS 62.2115 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2    62.2115  Any decree or order entered by a judge or master of a juvenile

1-3  court, district court, justice’s court or municipal court concerning a child

1-4  within the purview of this chapter must contain, for the benefit of the child,

1-5  an explanation of the contents of NRS [62.345,] 62.370 and, if applicable,

1-6  NRS 62.600.Green numbers along left margin indicate location on the printed bill (e.g., 5-15 indicates page 5, line 15).

1-7    Sec. 2.  NRS 62.350 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-8    62.350  1.  The fingerprints of a child must be taken if the child is in

1-9  custody for an act that, if committed by an adult:

1-10    (a) Would be a felony, a gross misdemeanor or a sexual offense; or

1-11    (b) Would be a misdemeanor, and the act involved:

1-12      (1) The use or threatened use of force or violence against the victim;

1-13  or

1-14      (2) The possession, use or threatened use of a firearm or a deadly

1-15  weapon.

1-16    2.  The fingerprints of a child who is in custody but who is not subject

1-17  to the provisions of subsection 1 may be taken if a law enforcement officer

1-18  finds latent fingerprints during the investigation of an offense and the

1-19  officer has reason to believe that the latent fingerprints are those of the

1-20  child. The officer shall use the fingerprints taken from the child [for the

1-21  purpose of making] to make an immediate comparison with the latent

1-22  fingerprints. If the comparison is:

1-23    (a) Negative, the fingerprint card and other copies of the fingerprints

1-24  taken may be immediately destroyed or may be retained for future use.

1-25    (b) Positive, the fingerprint card and other copies of the fingerprints:

1-26      (1) Must be delivered to the court for disposition if the child is

1-27  referred to court.

1-28      (2) May be immediately destroyed or may be retained for future use

1-29  if the child is not referred to court.

1-30    3.  Fingerprints that are taken from a child pursuant to the provisions of

1-31  this section:

1-32    (a) May be retained in a local file or a local system for the automatic

1-33  retrieval of fingerprints if they are retained under special security measures

1-34  that limit inspection of the fingerprints to law enforcement officers who are

1-35  conducting criminal investigations. If the child from whom the fingerprints

1-36  are taken subsequently is not adjudicated delinquent, the parent or guardian

1-37  of the child or, when the child becomes at least 18 years of age, the child

1-38  [,] may petition the court for the removal of the fingerprints from any such

1-39  local file or local system.

1-40    (b) Must be submitted to the central repository for Nevada records of

1-41  criminal history if the child is adjudicated delinquent for an act that, if


2-1  committed by an adult, would be a felony or sexual offense, and may be

2-2  submitted to the central repository for any other act. Any such fingerprints

2-3  submitted to the central repository must be submitted with a description of

2-4  the child and the unlawful act, if any, that the child committed. The central

2-5  repository shall retain the fingerprints and such information of the child

2-6  under special security measures that limit inspection of the fingerprints and

2-7  such information to law enforcement officers who are conducting criminal

2-8  investigations and to officers and employees of the central repository who

2-9  are assisting law enforcement officers with criminal investigations or who

2-10  are conducting research or performing a statistical analysis.

2-11    (c) Must not be submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation unless

2-12  the child is adjudicated delinquent for an act that, if committed by an adult,

2-13  would be a felony or a sexual offense.

2-14    4.  A child who is in custody must be photographed for the purpose of

2-15  identification. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the

2-16  photographs of the child must be kept in the file pertaining to the child

2-17  under special security measures which provide that the photographs may be

2-18  inspected only to conduct criminal investigations and photographic lineups.

2-19  If a court subsequently determines that the child is not delinquent, the court

2-20  shall order the photographs to be destroyed.

2-21    5.  Any person who willfully violates any provision of this section is

2-22  guilty of a misdemeanor.

2-23    6.  As used in this section, “sexual offense” means:

2-24    (a) Sexual assault pursuant to NRS 200.366;

2-25    (b) Statutory sexual seduction pursuant to NRS 200.368;

2-26    (c) Battery with intent to commit sexual assault pursuant to NRS

2-27  200.400;

2-28    (d) An offense involving pornography and a minor pursuant to NRS

2-29  200.710 to 200.730, inclusive;

2-30    (e) Incest pursuant to NRS 201.180;

2-31    (f) Solicitation of a minor to engage in acts constituting the infamous

2-32  crime against nature pursuant to NRS 201.195;

2-33    (g) Open or gross lewdness pursuant to NRS 201.210;

2-34    (h) Indecent or obscene exposure pursuant to NRS 201.220;

2-35    (i) Lewdness with a child pursuant to NRS 201.230;

2-36    (j) Sexual penetration of a dead human body pursuant to NRS

2-37  201.450;

2-38    (k) Annoyance or molestation of a minor pursuant to NRS 207.260;

2-39    (l) An attempt to commit an offense listed in paragraphs (a) to (k),

2-40  inclusive; or

2-41    (m) An offense that is determined to be sexually motivated pursuant to

2-42  NRS 175.547.

2-43    Sec. 3.  NRS 62.370 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-44    62.370  1.  Except as otherwise provided in this section and NRS

2-45  [62.345 and] 62.600, if a child is taken into custody by a peace officer, is

2-46  taken before a probation officer, or appears before a judge or master of a

2-47  juvenile court, district court, justice’s court or municipal court, the child or

2-48  a probation officer on his behalf may petition for the sealing of all records

2-49  relating to the child, including records of arrest, but not including records

2-50  relating to misdemeanor traffic violations, in the custody of the juvenile


3-1  court, district court, justice’s court or municipal court, probation officer,

3-2  law enforcement agency, or any other agency or public official, if:

3-3    (a) Three years or more have elapsed [after termination of the

3-4  jurisdiction of the juvenile] since the child was declared a ward of the

3-5  court; or

3-6    (b) Three years or more have elapsed since the child was last referred to

3-7  the juvenile court and the child has never been declared a ward of the

3-8  court.

3-9    2.  [The] Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3 and NRS

3-10  62.600, all records relating to a child must be automatically sealed when

3-11  the child reaches 21 years of age.

3-12    3.  If a child is adjudicated delinquent for an act that, if committed by

3-13  an adult, would be punishable as sexual assault pursuant to NRS

3-14  200.366, battery with intent to commit sexual assault pursuant to NRS

3-15  200.400 or lewdness with a child pursuant to NRS 201.230, or for an act

3-16  involving the use or threatened use of force or violence that, if committed

3-17  by an adult, would be punishable as a felony, any records pertaining to

3-18  that act must not be automatically sealed when the child reaches 21 years

3-19  of age.

3-20    4.  Except as otherwise provided in NRS 62.600, a child whose record

3-21  has not been automatically sealed pursuant to subsection 2 may petition

3-22  for the sealing of all records relating to the child after the child reaches

3-23  30 years of age.

3-24    5.  If a petition is filed pursuant to subsection 1, the court shall notify

3-25  the district attorney of the county and the probation officer, if he is not the

3-26  petitioner. If a petition is filed pursuant to subsection 4, the court shall

3-27  notify the district attorney of the county. The district attorney, a probation

3-28  officer, any of their deputies or any other persons having relevant evidence

3-29  may testify at the hearing on the petition.

3-30    [3.] 6. If, after [the hearing,] a hearing on a petition filed pursuant to

3-31  subsection 1, the court finds that, [since such termination of jurisdiction,]

3-32  during the applicable 3-year period, the child has not been convicted of a

3-33  felony or of any misdemeanor involving moral turpitude and that

3-34  rehabilitation has been attained to the satisfaction of the court, it shall order

3-35  all records, papers and exhibits in the [juvenile’s] child’s case in the

3-36  custody of the juvenile court, district court, justice’s court, municipal court,

3-37  probation officer, law enforcement agency or any other agency or public

3-38  official sealed. Other records relating to the case, in the custody of such

3-39  other agencies and officials as are named in the order, must also be ordered

3-40  sealed.

3-41    [4.  Except as otherwise provided in NRS 62.345 and 62.600, all

3-42  records relating to a child must be automatically sealed when the child

3-43  reaches 24 years of age.

3-44  5.] 7. If, after a hearing on a petition filed pursuant to subsection 4,

3-45  the court finds that, in the period since the child reached 21 years of age,

3-46  the child has not been convicted of any offense, except for minor moving

3-47  or standing traffic violations, the court may order sealed all records,

3-48  papers and exhibits in the child’s case in the custody of the juvenile

3-49  court, district court, justice’s court, municipal court, probation officer,

3-50  law enforcement agency or any other agency or public official. Other


4-1  records relating to the case, in the custody of such other agencies and

4-2  officials as are named in the order, may also be ordered sealed.

4-3    8.  The court shall send a copy of the order sealing the records of a

4-4  child to each agency and official named therein. Each agency and official

4-5  shall, within 5 days after receipt of the order:

4-6    (a) Seal records in its custody, as directed by the order.

4-7    (b) Advise the court of its compliance.

4-8    (c) Seal the copy of the court’s order that it or he received.

4-9    [6.] 9. If the court orders the records sealed, all proceedings recounted

4-10  in the records are deemed never to have occurred, and the person who is

4-11  the subject of the records may properly reply accordingly to any inquiry

4-12  concerning the proceedings and the events which brought about the

4-13  proceedings.

4-14    [7.] 10. The person who is the subject of records sealed pursuant to

4-15  this section may petition the court to permit inspection of the records by a

4-16  person named in the petition and the court may order the inspection.

4-17    [8.] 11. The court may, upon the application of a district attorney or

4-18  an attorney representing a defendant in a criminal action, order an

4-19  inspection of the records [for the purpose of obtaining] to obtain

4-20  information relating to persons who were involved in the incident recorded.

4-21    [9.] 12. The court may, upon its own motion and [for the purpose of

4-22  sentencing] to sentence a convicted adult who is under 21 years of age,

4-23  inspect any records of that person which are sealed pursuant to this section.

4-24    [10.] 13. An agency charged with the medical or psychiatric care of a

4-25  person may petition the court to unseal his juvenile records.

4-26    [11.] 14. The provisions of this section do not apply to information

4-27  maintained in the standardized system established pursuant to NRS 62.910

4-28  or information that must be collected by the division of child and family

4-29  services of the department of human resources pursuant to NRS 62.920.

4-30    [12.] 15. As used in this section, “seal” means placing the records in a

4-31  separate file or other repository not accessible to the general public.

4-32    Sec. 4.  NRS 62.560 is hereby amended to read as follows:

4-33    62.560  Except as otherwise provided in subsection [3] 2 of NRS

4-34  62.600, the provisions of NRS 62.500 to 62.600, inclusive, do not apply to

4-35  a child who is subject to registration and community notification pursuant

4-36  to NRS 179D.350 to 179D.800, inclusive, before reaching 21 years of age.

4-37    Sec. 5.  NRS 62.600 is hereby amended to read as follows:

4-38    62.600  1.  The records relating to a child must not be sealed pursuant

4-39  to the provisions of NRS 62.370 while the child is subject to community

4-40  notification as a juvenile sex offender.

4-41    2.  [Except as otherwise provided in NRS 62.345, if a child is relieved

4-42  of being subject to community notification as a juvenile sex offender

4-43  pursuant to NRS 62.590, all records relating to the child must be

4-44  automatically sealed when the child reaches 24 years of age as provided in

4-45  subsection 4 of NRS 62.370.

4-46    3.] If a child is deemed to be an adult sex offender pursuant to NRS

4-47  62.590, is convicted of a sexual offense, as defined in NRS 179D.410,

4-48  before reaching 21 years of age or is otherwise subject to registration and

4-49  community notification pursuant to NRS 179D.350 to 179D.800, inclusive,

4-50  before reaching 21 years of age:


5-1    (a) The records relating to the child must not be sealed pursuant to the

5-2  provisions of NRS 62.370; and

5-3    (b) Each delinquent act committed by the child that would have been a

5-4  sexual offense, as defined in NRS 179D.410 if committed by an adult, shall

5-5  be deemed to be a criminal conviction for the purposes of:

5-6       (1) Registration and community notification pursuant to NRS

5-7  179D.350 to 179D.800, inclusive; and

5-8       (2) The statewide registry established within the central repository

5-9  pursuant to chapter 179B of NRS.

5-10    Sec. 6.  NRS 179D.035 is hereby amended to read as follows:

5-11    179D.035  “Convicted” includes, but is not limited to, an adjudication

5-12  of delinquency or a finding of guilt by a court having jurisdiction over

5-13  juveniles if the adjudication of delinquency or the finding of guilt is for the

5-14  commission of any of the following offenses:

5-15    1.  A crime against a child that is listed in subsection 6 of NRS

5-16  179D.210.

5-17    2.  A sexual offense that is listed in subsection 19 of NRS 179D.410.

5-18    3.  A sexual offense that is listed in paragraph (b) of subsection [3] 2 of

5-19  NRS 62.600.

5-20    Sec. 7.  NRS 62.335 and 62.345 are hereby repealed.

5-21    Sec. 8.  The amendatory provisions of this act apply to any act

5-22  committed by a child before, on or after July 1, 2001, if the records

5-23  pertaining to that act have not been sealed pursuant to NRS 62.370 before

5-24  July 1, 2001.

5-25    Sec. 9.  This act becomes effective on July 1, 2001.

 

5-26  20~~~~~01