2023 District of Columbia Code › Title 23 - Criminal Procedure. [Enacted title] › Chapter 13 - Bail Agency [Pretrial Services Agency] and Pretrial Detention › Subchapter I - District of Columbia Bail Agency [Pretrial Services Agency] › § 23–1303. Interviews with detainees; investigations and reports; information as confidential; consideration and use of reports in making bail determinations

§ 23–1303. Interviews with detainees; investigations and reports; information as confidential; consideration and use of reports in making bail determinations.
*NOTE: This section includes amendments by emergency legislation that will expire on March 20, 2024. To view the text of this section after the expiration of all emergency and temporary legislation affecting this section, click this link: Permanent Version.*
(a) The agency shall, except when impracticable, interview any person detained pursuant to law or charged with an offense in the District of Columbia who is to appear before a judicial officer or whose case arose in or is before any court named in section 23-1302(1). The interview, when requested by a judicial officer, shall also be undertaken with respect to any person charged with intoxication or a traffic violation. The agency shall seek independent verification of information obtained during the interview, shall secure any such person’s prior criminal record which shall be made available by the Metropolitan Police Department, and shall prepare a written report of the information for submission to the appropriate judicial officer. The report to the judicial officer shall, where appropriate, include a recommendation as to whether such person should be released or detained under any of the conditions specified in subchapter II of this chapter. If the agency does not make a recommendation, it shall submit a report without recommendation. The agency shall provide copies of its report and recommendations (if any) to the United States attorney for the District of Columbia or the Corporation Counsel of the District of Columbia [Attorney General for the District of Columbia], and to counsel for the person concerning whom the report is made. The report shall include but not be limited to information concerning the person accused, his family, his community ties, residence, employment, and prior criminal record, and may include such additional verified information as may become available to the agency.
(b) With respect to persons seeking review under subchapter II of this chapter of their detention or conditions of release, the agency shall review its report, seek and verify such new information as may be necessary, and modify or supplement its report to the extent appropriate.
(c) The agency, when requested by any appellate court or a judge or justice thereof, or by any other judicial officer, shall furnish a report as provided in subsection (a) of this section respecting any person whose case is pending before any such appellate court or judicial officer or in whose behalf an application for a bail determination shall have been submitted.
(d) Any information contained in the agency's files, presented in its report, or divulged during the course of any hearing shall not be admissible on the issue of guilt in any judicial proceeding, but such information may be used in proceedings under §§ 23-1327, 23-1328, and 23-1329, in perjury proceedings, and for the purposes of impeachment in any subsequent proceeding. Any information obtained from a device, as that term is defined in § 22-1211(a)(2), may be used on the issue of guilt in any judicial proceeding.
(e) The agency, when requested by a member or officer or designated civilian employee of the Metropolitan Police Department acting pursuant to court rules governing the issuance of citations in the District of Columbia, shall furnish to such member or officer or designated civilian employee a report as provided in subsection (a) of this section.
(f) The preparation and the submission by the agency of its report as provided in this section shall be accomplished at the earliest practicable opportunity.
(g) A judicial officer in making a bail determination shall consider the agency’s report and its accompanying recommendation, if any. The judicial officer may order such detention or may impose such terms and set such conditions upon release, including requiring the execution of a bail bond with sufficient solvent sureties as shall appear warranted by the facts, except that such judicial officer may not order any detention or establish any term or condition for release not otherwise authorized by law.
(h) The agency shall —
(1) supervise all persons released on nonsurety release, including release on personal recognizance, personal bond, nonfinancial conditions, or cash deposit or percentage deposit with the registry of the court;
(2) make reasonable effort to give notice of each required court appearance to each person released by the court;
(3) serve as coordinator for other agencies and organizations which serve or may be eligible to serve as custodians for persons released under supervision and advise the judicial officer as to the eligibility, availability, and capacity of such agencies and organizations;
(4) assist persons released pursuant to subchapter II of this chapter in securing employment or necessary medical or social services;
(5) inform the judicial officer and the United States attorney for the District of Columbia or the Corporation Counsel of the District of Columbia [Attorney General for the District of Columbia] of failure to comply with pretrial release conditions or the arrest of persons released under its supervision and recommend modifications of release conditions when appropriate;
(6) prepare, in cooperation with the United States marshal for the District of Columbia and the United States attorney for the District of Columbia, such pretrial detention reports as are required by Rule 46 (h) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure; and
(7) perform such other pretrial functions as the executive committee may, from time to time, assign.
(July 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 640, Pub. L. 91-358, Title II, § 210(a); June 12, 1999, D.C. Law 12-284, § 8(c), 46 DCR 1328; Dec. 21, 2023, D.C. Act 25-339, § 7(b), 70 DCR 16594.)
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 23-1303.
1973 Ed., § 23-1303.
Emergency Legislation
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 7(b) of Prioritizing Public Safety Second Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2023 (D.C. Act 25-339, Dec. 21, 2023, 70 DCR 16594).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 6(b) of Prioritizing Public Safety Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2023 (D.C. Act 25-257, Oct. 16, 2023, 70 DCR 13849).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 7(b) of Prioritizing Public Safety Emergency Amendment Act of 2023 (D.C. Act 25-175, July 20, 2023, 70 DCR 10358).
For temporary amendment of section, see § 3(b) of the Zero Tolerance for Guns Congressional Adjournment Emergency Amendment Act of 1996 (D.C. Act 11-436, December 4, 1996, 43 DCR 6651), and see § 3(b) of the Zero Tolerance for Guns Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 1997 (D.C. Act 12-35, March 11, 1997, 44 DCR 1928).
For temporary amendment of section, see § 3 of the Zero Tolerance for Guns Emergency Amendment Act of 1996 (D.C. Act 11-390, August 26, 1996, 43 DCR 4986), § 3(a) of the Zero Tolerance for Guns Congressional Adjournment Emergency Amendment Act of 1996 (D.C. Act 11-436, December 4, 1996, 43 DCR 6651), and § 3(a) of the Zero Tolerance for Guns Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 1997 (D.C. Act 12-35, March 11, 1997, 44 DCR 1928).
For temporary amendment of section, see § 8(c) of the Metropolitan Police Department Civilianization and Street Solicitation for Prostitution Emergency Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Act 12-428, August 6, 1998, 45 DCR 5884).
For temporary amendment of section, see § 8(c) of the Metropolitan Police Department Civilianization Legislative Review Emergency Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Act 12-506, November 10, 1998, 45 DCR 8139), and § 8(c) of the Metropolitan Police Department Civilianization Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 1999 (D.C. Act 13-13, February 8, 1999, 46 DCR 2333).
Temporary Legislation
Section 8(c) of D.C. Law 12-(Act 12-492), in (e), inserted “or designated civilian employee” twice, and added “of this section.”
Section 13(b) of D.C. Law 12-(Act 12-492) provided that the act shall expire after 225 days of its having taken effect.