Terms Used In Kansas Statutes 22-4620

  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Law enforcement agency: means the governmental unit employing the law enforcement officer. See Kansas Statutes 22-4606
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Kansas Statutes 77-201
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.

(a) All law enforcement agencies in this state shall adopt a detailed, written policy requiring electronic recording of any custodial interrogation conducted at a place of detention.

(b) All local law enforcement agencies in this state shall collaborate with the county or district attorney in the appropriate jurisdiction regarding the contents of written policies required by this section.

(c) Policies adopted pursuant to this section shall be made available to all officers of such agency and shall be available for public inspection during normal business hours.

(d) Policies adopted pursuant to this section shall include the following:

(1) A requirement that an electronic recording shall be made of an entire custodial interrogation at a place of detention when the interrogation concerns a homicide or a felony sex offense;

(2) a requirement that if the defendant elects to make or sign a written statement during the course of a custodial interrogation concerning a homicide or a felony sex offense, the making and signing of the statement shall be electronically recorded;

(3) a statement of exceptions to the requirement to electronically record custodial interrogations, including, but not limited to:

(A) An equipment malfunction preventing electronic recording of the interrogation in its entirety, and replacement equipment is not immediately available;

(B) the officer, in good faith, fails to record the interrogation because the officer inadvertently fails to operate the recording equipment properly, or without the officer’s knowledge the recording equipment malfunctions or stops recording;

(C) the suspect affirmatively asserts the desire to speak with officers without being recorded;

(D) multiple interrogations are taking place, exceeding the available electronic recording capacity;

(E) the statement is made spontaneously and not in response to an interrogation question;

(F) the statement is made during questioning that is routinely asked during the processing of an arrest of a suspect;

(G) the statement is made at a time when the officer is unaware of the suspect’s involvement in an offense covered by the policy;

(H) exigent circumstances make recording impractical;

(I) at the time of the interrogation, the officer, in good faith, is unaware of the type of offense involved; and

(J) the recording is damaged or destroyed, without bad faith on the part of any person or entity in control of the recording; and

(4) requirements pertaining to the retention and storage requirements of the electronic recording.

(e) (1) During trial, the officer may be questioned pursuant to the rules of evidence regarding any violation of the policies adopted pursuant to this section.

(2) Lack of an electronic recording shall not be the sole basis for suppression of the interrogation or confession.

(f) Every electronic recording of any statement as required by this section shall be confidential and exempt from the Kansas open records act in accordance with Kan. Stat. Ann. § 45-229, and amendments thereto.

(g) As used in this section:

(1) “Custodial interrogation” means questioning of a person to whom warnings given pursuant to Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966), are required to be given;

(2) “place of detention” means a fixed location under the control of a Kansas law enforcement agency where individuals are questioned about alleged crimes; and

(3) “electronic recording” means audio or audiovisual recording. An audiovisual recording is preferred.