Minnesota Session Laws - 1993, Regular Session

  
    Laws of Minnesota 1993 

                        CHAPTER 255-S.F.No. 1171 
           An act relating to crime; creating a committee on 
          nonfelony enforcement to review the proportionality 
          and enforcement of petty misdemeanor, misdemeanor, and 
          gross misdemeanor offenses; requiring a report. 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
    Section 1.  [NONFELONY ENFORCEMENT COMMITTEE.] 
    Subdivision 1.  [DUTIES.] The nonfelony enforcement 
advisory committee shall study current enforcement and 
prosecution of all nonfelony offenses under Minnesota law.  The 
committee shall evaluate the effect of prosecutorial 
jurisdiction over misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor crimes 
against the person on effective law enforcement and public 
safety.  The committee shall analyze the relative penalty levels 
for nonfelony crimes against the person and low-level felony 
property crimes.  The committee shall recommend any necessary 
changes in Minnesota law to achieve the following goals: 
    (1) proportionality of penalties for gross misdemeanors, 
misdemeanors, and petty misdemeanors; 
    (2) effective enforcement and prosecution of these 
offenses; and 
    (3) efficient use of the resources of the criminal justice 
system. 
    Subd. 2.  [RESOURCES.] The committee may use legislative 
staff to provide legal counsel, research, and secretarial and 
clerical assistance.  The sentencing guidelines committee, 
department of corrections, state court administrator, and 
criminal justice information system shall provide technical 
assistance to the committee on request. 
    Subd. 3.  [MEMBERSHIP.] The committee consists of: 
    (1) three senators, no more than two of whom are from the 
same political party, appointed by the senate subcommittee on 
committees of the committee on rules and administration and 
three members of the house of representatives, no more than two 
of whom are from the same political party, appointed by the 
speaker; 
    (2) two representatives from each of the following groups 
appointed by the chairs of the senate committee on crime 
prevention and the house judiciary committee: 
    (i) crime victim advocates; 
    (ii) county attorneys; 
    (iii) city attorneys; 
    (iv) professors of law with expertise in criminal justice; 
    (v) district court judges; 
    (vi) criminal defense attorneys; 
    (vii) probation officers; and 
    (viii) public members who are victims of crime; 
    (3) four law enforcement officials, including one municipal 
law enforcement official, one county law enforcement official, 
one conservation officer, and one member of the state patrol, 
appointed by the chairs of the senate committee on crime 
prevention and the house judiciary committee; and 
    (4) the state court administrator, who shall chair the 
committee. 
    Subd. 4.  [REPORT.] By October 1, 1995, the committee shall 
report its findings and recommendations for revisions in 
Minnesota law to the chairs of the senate committee on crime 
prevention and the house committee on judiciary. 
    Sec. 2.  [REPEALER.] 
    Section 1 is repealed effective October 15, 1995. 
    Presented to the governor May 15, 1993 
    Signed by the governor May 19, 1993, 8:23 a.m.