Source: https://statutes.laws.com/delaware/title11/c096/
Timestamp: 2019-06-26 23:51:49
Document Index: 395953936

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 9601', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 9602', '§ 1', '§ 9604', '§ 9605', '§ 9606', '§ 4110']

Chapter 96. Protection Of Witnesses - Delaware Statutes
Statutes > Delaware > Title11 > C096
CHAPTER 96. PROTECTION OF WITNESSES
§ 9601. Witness relocation and services.
(1) The Attorney General shall issue guidelines defining the types of cases for which the exercise of the authority of the Attorney General as set forth in this chapter would be appropriate.
(2) The State and its officers and employees shall not be subject to any civil liability on account of any decision to provide or not to provide services under this chapter.
(4) Provide to the person a payment to meet basic living expenses, in a sum established in accordance with regulations issued by the Attorney General, for such time as the Attorney General determines to be warranted;
(7) Disclose or refuse to disclose the identity or location of the person relocated or protected, or any other matter concerning the person or the program after weighing the danger such a disclosure would pose to the person, the detriment it would cause to the general effectiveness of the program, and the benefit it would afford to the public or to the person seeking the disclosure, except that the Attorney General shall, upon the request of law enforcement officials or pursuant to a court order, without undue delay, disclose to such officials the identity, location, criminal records and fingerprints relating to the person relocated or protected when the Attorney General knows or the request indicates that the person is under investigation for or has been arrested for or charged with an offense that is punishable by more than one year in prison or that is a crime of violence;
(9) Authorize expenditures to provide to law enforcement protection to ensure the safety and security of the person and/or the person's dwelling and/or the person's place of business; and
The Attorney General shall establish an accurate, efficient and effective system of records concerning the criminal history of persons provided services under this chapter in order to provide the information described in paragraph (b)(7) of this section.
(c) Deductions shall be made from any payment made to a person pursuant to paragraph (b)(4) of this section hereof to satisfy obligations of that person for family support payments pursuant to a state court order.
(d) Any person who, without the authorization of the Attorney General, knowingly discloses any information received from the Attorney General under paragraph (b)(7) of this section shall be fined $5,000 or imprisoned for 5 years, or both. The Superior Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction of any violation of this subsection.
(e)(1) Before providing services to any person under this chapter, the Attorney General shall, to the extent practicable, obtain information relating to the suitability of the person for inclusion in the program, including the criminal history, if any, and a psychological evaluation of, the person. A psychological evaluation shall only be required if the Attorney General intends to establish a new identity and/or a new permanent place of residence for the person. The Attorney General shall also make a written assessment in each case of the seriousness of the investigation or case in which the person's information or testimony has been or will be provided and the possible risk of danger to other persons and property which could be created by providing services to a person and shall determine whether the need for that person's testimony outweighs the risk of danger to the public. In assessing whether services should be provided to a person under this chapter, the Attorney General shall consider the person's criminal record, alternatives to providing services under this chapter, the possibility of securing similar testimony from other sources, the need for protecting the person, the relative importance of the person's testimony, the results of psychological examinations, whether providing such services will substantially infringe upon the relationship between a child who would be relocated in connection with such services and that child's parent who would not be so relocated, and such other factors as the Attorney General considers appropriate. The Attorney General shall not provide services to any person under this chapter if the risk of danger to the public created by the provision of such services, including the potential harm to innocent victims, outweighs the need for that person's testimony. This subsection shall not be construed to authorize the disclosure of the written assessment made pursuant to this subsection.
(2) In addition to the requirements set forth in paragraph (1) of this subsection, before providing services under this chapter which are intended to establish a new identity and/or a new permanent place of residence for the person, the Attorney General shall secure a psychological evaluation of the person which shall assess the risk of danger to the public, including the potential harm to innocent victims, potentially created by the provision of such services.
(g)(1) The attorney General shall enter into a separate memorandum of understanding pursuant to this subsection with each person to whom services are provided under this chapter who is 18 years of age or older. The memorandum of understanding shall be signed by the Attorney General and the person to whom services are provided.
(i) The Attorney General may terminate the services provided under this chapter to any person who substantially breaches the memorandum of understanding entered into between the Attorney General and that person pursuant to subsection (f) of this section, or who provides false information concerning the memorandum of understanding or the circumstances pursuant to which the person was provided services under this chapter, including information with respect to the nature and circumstances concerning child custody and visitation. Before terminating such services, the Attorney General shall send notice to the person involved of the termination of the services provided under this chapter and the reasons for the termination. The decision of the Attorney General to terminate such services shall not be subject to judicial review.
74 Del. Laws, c. 57, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
§ 9602. Civil judgments.
(a) If a person provided services which include the establishment of a new identity and/or new place of permanent residence under this chapter is named as a defendant in a civil cause of action arising prior to or during the period in which the services are provided, process in the civil proceeding may be served upon that person or an agent designated by that person for that purpose. The Attorney General shall make reasonable efforts to serve a copy of the process upon the person protected at the person's last known address. The Attorney General shall notify the plaintiff in the action whether such process has been served. If a judgment in such action is entered against that person, the Attorney General shall determine whether the person has made reasonable efforts to comply with the judgment. The Attorney General shall take appropriate steps to urge the person to comply with the judgment. If the Attorney General determines that the person has not made reasonable efforts to comply with the judgment, the Attorney General may, after considering the danger to the person and upon the request of the person holding the judgment, disclose the identity and location of the person to the plaintiff entitled to recovery pursuant to the judgment. Any such disclosure of the identity and location of the person shall be made upon the express condition that further disclosure by the plaintiff of such identity or location may be made only if essential to the plaintiff's efforts to recover under the judgment, and only to such additional persons as is necessary to effect the recovery.
(b)(1) Any person who holds a judgment entered by a federal or state court in that person's favor against a person provided services which include the establishment of a new identity and/or a new place of employment under this chapter may, upon a decision by the Attorney General to deny disclosure of the current identity and location of such person, bring an action against the person in the Superior Court. Such action shall be brought within 120 days after the petitioner requested the Attorney General to disclose the identity and location of the person to whom services have been provided under this chapter. The complaint in such action shall contain statements that the petitioner holds a valid judgment of a federal or state court against a person provided services under this chapter and that the petitioner sought to enforce the judgment by requesting the Attorney General to disclose the identity and location of such person.
(2) The petitioner in an action described in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall notify the Attorney General of the action at the same time the action is brought. The Attorney General shall appear in the action and shall affirm or deny the statements in the complaint that the person against whom the judgment is allegedly held is provided services under this chapter and that the petitioner requested the Attorney General to disclose the identity and location of such person for the purpose of enforcing the judgment.
(3) Upon a determination; (i) that the petitioner holds a judgment entered by a federal or state court; and (ii) that the Attorney General has declined to disclose to the petitioner the current identify and location of the person against whom the judgment was entered, the court shall appoint a guardian to act on behalf of the petitioner to enforce the judgment. The clerk of the court shall forthwith furnish the guardian with a copy of the order of appointment. The Attorney General shall disclose to the guardian the current identity and location of the person to whom services have been provided and any other information necessary to enable the guardian to carry out that guardian's duties under this subsection.
(4) It is the duty of the guardian to proceed with all reasonable diligence and dispatch to enforce the rights of the petitioner under the judgment. The guardian shall, however, endeavor to carry out such enforcement duties in a manner that maximizes, to the extent practicable, the safety and security of the person to whom services have been provided under this chapter. In no event shall the guardian disclose the new identity or location of such person without the permission of the Attorney General, except that such disclosure may be made to a federal or state court in order to enforce the judgment. Any good faith disclosure made by the guardian in the performance of the guardian's duties under this subsection shall not create any civil liability against the State or any of its officers or employees, or the guardian.
(5) Upon appointment, the guardian shall have the power to perform any act with respect to the judgment which the petitioner could perform, including the initiation of judicial enforcement actions in any federal or state court or the assignment of such enforcement actions to a third party under applicable federal or state law. The Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure shall apply in any action brought under this subsection to enforce a federal or state court judgment.
(6) The cost of any action brought under this subsection with respect to a judgment, including any enforcement action described herein, and the compensation to be allowed to a guardian appointed in any such action shall be fixed by the court and shall be apportioned among the parties as follows: (i) the petitioner shall be assessed the amount the petitioner would have paid to collect on the judgment in an action not arising under the provisions of this subsection; and (ii) the protected person shall be assessed the costs which are normally charged to debtors in similar actions and any other costs which are incurred as a result of an action brought under this subsection. In the event that the costs and compensation to the guardian are not met by the petitioner or by the protected person, the court may, in its discretion, enter judgment against the state for costs and fees reasonably incurred as a result of the action brought under this subsection.
(b) Before services which include the establishment of a new identity and/or new place of permanent residence are provided under this chapter to any person:
(1) Who is a parent of a child of whom that person has custody; and
(2) Who has obligations to another parent of that child with respect to custody or visitation of that child under a court order,
the Attorney General shall obtain and examine a copy of such order for the purpose of assuring that compliance with the order can be achieved. If compliance with a visitation order cannot be achieved, the Attorney General may provide services under this chapter to the person only if the parent being relocated initiates legal action to modify the existing court order under paragraph (e)(1) of this section. The parent being relocated must agree in writing before being provided such services to abide by any ensuing court orders issued as a result of an action to modify.
(c) With respect to any person provided services which include the establishment of a new identity and/or new place of permanent residence under this chapter:
(1) Who is the parent of a child who is relocated in connection with such services; and
(2) Who has obligations to another parent of that child with respect to custody or visitation of that child under a state court order,
the Attorney General shall, as soon as practicable after the person and child are so relocated, notify in writing the child's parent who is not so relocated that a child has been provided services under this chapter. The notification shall also include statements that the rights of the parent not so relocated to visitation or custody, or both, under the court order shall not be infringed by the relocation of the child and the Department of Justice responsibility with respect thereto. The Department of Justice will pay all reasonable costs of transportation and security incurred in insuring that visitation can occur at a secure location, but in no event shall it be obligated to pay such costs for visitation in excess of 30 days a year. Additional visitation may be paid for, in the discretion of the Attorney General, by the Department of Justice in extraordinary circumstances. In the event that the unrelocated parent pays visitation costs, the Department of Justice may, in the discretion of the Attorney General, extend security arrangements associated with such visitation.
(d)(1) With respect to any person provided services which include the establishment of a new identity and/or new place of permanent residence under this chapter: (i) who is the parent of a child who is relocated in connection with such services; and (ii) who has obligations to another parent of that child with respect to custody or visitation of that child under a court order, an action to modify that court order may be brought by any party to the court order in the Family Court in the county in which the child's parent resides who has not been relocated in connection with such services.
(3) If, within 60 days after an action is brought under paragraph (1) of this subsection hereof to modify a court order, the dispute has not been mediated, any party to the court order may request arbitration of the dispute. In the case of such a request, the court shall appoint a commissioner to act as arbitrator, who shall be experienced in domestic relations matters. The court and the commissioner shall, in determining the dispute, give substantial deference to the need for maintaining parent-child relationships, and any order issued by the court shall be in the best interests of the child. In actions to modify a court order brought under this subsection, the court and the commissioner shall apply the law of the State in which the court order was issued. The costs to the state of carrying out a court order may be considered in an action brought under this subsection to modify that court order but shall not outweigh the relative interests of the parties themselves and the child.
(6) The State shall pay litigation costs, including reasonable attorney's fees, incurred by a parent who prevails in enforcing a custody or visitation order, but shall retain the right to recover such costs from the person to whom services have been provided under this chapter.
(e)(1) In any case in which the Attorney General determines that, as a result of the relocation of a person and a child of whom that person is a parent in connection with the provision of services under this chapter, the implementation of a court order with respect to custody or visitation of that child would be substantially impossible, the Attorney General may bring, on behalf of the person provided services under this chapter, an action to modify the court order. Such action may be brought in the county in which the parent resides who would not be or was not relocated in connection with the services provided under this chapter. In an action brought under this paragraph, if the Attorney General establishes, by clear and convincing evidence, that implementation of the court order involved would be substantially impossible, the court may modify the court order but shall, subject to appropriate security considerations, provide an alternative as substantially equivalent to the original rights of the nonrelocating parent as feasible under the circumstances.
(h)(1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the costs of any action described in subsection (d), (e) or (f) of this section shall be paid by the State.
74 Del. Laws, c. 57, § 1.;
§ 9604. Cooperation of other state agencies and governments; reimbursement of expenses.
§ 9605. Additional authority of Attorney General.
§ 9606. Source of funding.
All expenses incurred by the Attorney General to provide any service pursuant to this chapter shall be paid from the Special Law Enforcement Assistance Fund established by § 4110 of this title.