Concerning judicial branch administration, including mental health advocates, access to and confidentiality of juror information, remote testimony, and access to criminal history records

This bill relates to judicial branch administration. PATIENT ADVOCATES. The bill removes the requirement that the judicial council develop and promulgate best practices for court-assigned advocates of persons with mental illness. Under the bill, such advocates may use any best practices for their duties. JURORS —— INFORMATION. The bill provides that prospective juror year of birth and city and zip code address information is available to the public but that more specific address information, phone numbers, and date and month of birth are confidential and are not subject to disclosure without an order of the court. Attorneys representing parties to the case are entitled to complete juror questionnaires of jurors and prospective jurors without court order. REMOTE TESTIMONY. For purposes of oral evidence in court trials, the bill defines the term “open court” to include remote testimony of a witness by telephone, videoconference, or other remote means approved by the court. Under current law, all testimony needs to be taken in open court, except for depositions.2d 740 (Iowa 2001), the court held the phrase “in open court” meant physical presence in the courtroom itself, and ruled that allowing telephonic testimony over objection violated the statute. ACCESS TO CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS. The bill allows criminal history data of an accused person to be disseminated to the attorney of the accused and self-represented litigants without a court order, if the criminal history data is already a part of the prosecution’s file and is subject to a discovery obligation. The bill also allows criminal history data of an accused person, or of a witness, to be disseminated to the attorney of the accused, prosecutors, and self-represented litigants upon court order.