SB 188 Summary

• Allows evidence at grand jury proceedings that prosecutors believe will be admissible at trial, overturning the State v. Powell decision regarding hearsay evidence admissibility standards.

• Restricts name change petitions for individuals in Department of Corrections custody, on probation/parole, or required to register as sex offenders unless notice is served on appropriate agencies, and prohibits name changes for charged persons without providing the associated case number.

• Requires sex offenders and child kidnappers to report name changes to law enforcement within one working day, and makes failure to report a name change a crime.

• Modifies bail procedures to require written findings explaining how release conditions ensure appearance and safety, and requires 48-hour written notice before bail review hearings.

• Adds mandatory consecutive sentencing for violations of release conditions when committed two or more times in a single case, and revises plain error appellate standards by requiring clear and convincing evidence and establishing that reasonable judicial disagreement precludes plain error findings.