SF 2379

as introduced - 79th Legislature (1995 - 1996) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to crime; requiring the sentencing guidelines 
  1.3             commission to prepare an annual report on sentencing 
  1.4             practices; amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 
  1.5             244.09, subdivision 6. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 244.09, 
  1.8   subdivision 6, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 6.  [INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS; REPORTS.] (a) The 
  1.10  commission, in addition to establishing sentencing guidelines, 
  1.11  shall serve as a clearing house and information center for the 
  1.12  collection, preparation, analysis and dissemination of 
  1.13  information on state and local sentencing practices, and shall 
  1.14  conduct ongoing research regarding sentencing guidelines, use of 
  1.15  imprisonment and alternatives to imprisonment, plea bargaining, 
  1.16  and other matters relating to the improvement of the criminal 
  1.17  justice system.  The commission shall from time to time make 
  1.18  recommendations to the legislature regarding changes in the 
  1.19  criminal code, criminal procedures, and other aspects of 
  1.20  sentencing. 
  1.21     (b) By July 1 of each year, the commission shall prepare a 
  1.22  report that includes a record of the sentencing practices of 
  1.23  each district court judge for the previous calendar year with 
  1.24  respect to application of the sentencing guidelines.  For each 
  1.25  judge, the report must include: 
  2.1      (1) the total number of felony sentences imposed or stayed; 
  2.2      (2) the number of sentences that deviated upward and number 
  2.3   that deviated downward from the guidelines; 
  2.4      (3) a breakdown of the types of offenses for which an 
  2.5   upward or downward deviation occurred and the nature and extent 
  2.6   of the deviation; 
  2.7      (4) the status and result of sentences that were appealed 
  2.8   under section 244.11; and 
  2.9      (5) any other information the commission considers relevant 
  2.10  to analyzing sentencing practices.  
  2.11     The report must be made readily accessible to the public, 
  2.12  including distribution to at least one public library within 
  2.13  each judicial district.