AB231: Bill Text

AB231,7,5 978.001 (1b) “Board" means the prosecutor board.

AB231,7,7 (1d) “Executive director" means the executive director appointed under s. 978.003 (3).

AB231,7,8 (1n) “Office" means the state prosecutors office.

AB231,15 Section 15. 978.001 (1p) of the statutes is repealed.

AB231,16 Section 16. 978.003 of the statutes is created to read:

AB231,7,11 978.003 Board; duties. The board shall do all of the following:

AB231,7,13 (1) Submit the budget in accordance with s. 16.42 after the executive director submits the budget to the board and the board approves it.

AB231,7,15 (2) At least annually submit to the joint committee on finance recommendations on the allocation of prosecutor resources.

AB231,7,17 (3) Appoint an attorney with experience in criminal prosecution as the executive director of the office.

AB231,7,18 (4) Oversee, and set policy initiatives for, the executive director.

AB231,7,20 (5) Review existing law or proposed legislation and make recommendations to the legislature.

AB231,17 Section 17. 978.004 of the statutes is created to read:

AB231,7,23 978.004 State prosecutors office executive director. (1) The executive director shall do all of the following:

AB231,7,25 (a) Manage and direct the office subject to the policy initiatives set under s. 978.003 (4).

AB231,8,2 (b) Prepare and submit to the board for its approval a budget and any personnel and employment policies that the board requires.

AB231,8,4 (c) Prepare and submit to the board and other appropriate persons an annual report of the activities of the office in the form that the board directs.

AB231,8,6 (d) Represent the board before the governor, the legislature, bar associations, courts, and other appropriate entities.

AB231,8,13 (e) Appoint in the classified service an executive assistant and all other employees of the office. Before making an appointment under this paragraph, the executive director shall notify the board of any prospective appointment. If the board does not object to the prospective appointment within 7 working days after notification, the executive director may make the appointment. If the board objects to a prospective appointment, the executive director may not make the appointment until the board approves it.

AB231,8,21 (f) Prepare fiscal estimates on bills affecting prosecutors or the office, including bills modifying or creating crimes or sentencing practices. To prepare a fiscal estimate, the executive director shall consult with and obtain data from district attorneys. The executive director shall transmit a draft fiscal estimate to the board. If the board does not object to the draft fiscal estimate within 7 working days after receiving it, the executive director may submit the fiscal estimate. If the board objects to a draft fiscal estimate, the executive director may not submit the fiscal estimate until the board approves it.

AB231,8,24 (2) The executive director may identify methods and practices for district attorneys that promote professional competence, ethical practices, and evidence-based practices.

AB231,18 Section 18. 978.005 of the statutes is created to read:

AB231,9,6 978.005 Limits on board and executive director. Neither the board nor the executive director may make any decision regarding the handling of any case nor interfere with any district attorney in carrying out professional duties. Neither the board nor the office may interfere with or infringe upon the autonomy of a district attorney or upon the authority of a district attorney to manage his or her own prosecutorial unit.

AB231,19 Section 19. 978.03 of the statutes is amended to read:

AB231,9,18 978.03 Deputies and assistants in certain prosecutorial units. (1) The district attorney of any prosecutorial unit having a population of 500,000 or more may appoint 7 deputy district attorneys and such assistant district attorneys as may be requested by the department of administration, or by the board, and authorized in accordance with s. 16.505. The district attorney shall rank the deputy district attorneys for purposes of carrying out duties under this section. The deputies, according to rank, may perform any duty of the district attorney, under the district attorney's direction. In the absence or disability of the district attorney, the deputies, according to rank, may perform any act required by law to be performed by the district attorney. Any such deputy must have practiced law in this state for at least 2 years prior to appointment under this section.

AB231,9,25 (1m) The district attorney of any prosecutorial unit having a population of 200,000 or more but not more than 499,999 may appoint 3 deputy district attorneys and such assistant district attorneys as may be requested by the department of administration, or by the board, and authorized in accordance with s. 16.505. The district attorney shall rank the deputy district attorneys for purposes of carrying out duties under this section. The deputies, according to rank, may perform any duty of the district attorney, under the district attorney's direction. In the absence or disability of the district attorney, the deputies, according to rank, may perform any act required by law to be performed by the district attorney. Any such deputy must have practiced law in this state for at least 2 years prior to appointment under this section.

AB231,10,13 (2) The district attorney of any prosecutorial unit having a population of 100,000 or more but not more than 199,999 may appoint one deputy district attorney and such assistant district attorneys as may be requested by the department of administration, or by the board, and authorized in accordance with s. 16.505. The deputy may perform any duty of the district attorney, under the district attorney's direction. In the absence or disability of the district attorney, the deputy may perform any act required by law to be performed by the district attorney. The deputy must have practiced law in this state for at least 2 years prior to appointment under this section.

AB231,10,19 (3) Any assistant district attorney under sub. (1), (1m), or (2) must be an attorney admitted to practice law in this state and, except as provided in s. 978.043 (1), may perform any duty required by law to be performed by the district attorney. The district attorney of the prosecutorial unit under sub. (1), (1m), or (2) may appoint such temporary counsel as may be authorized by the department of administration board.

AB231,20 Section 20. 978.045 (1g) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB231,11,7 978.045 (1g) A court on its own motion may appoint a special prosecutor under sub. (1r) or a district attorney may request a court to appoint a special prosecutor under that subsection. Before a court appoints a special prosecutor on its own motion or at the request of a district attorney for an appointment that exceeds 6 hours per case, the court or district attorney shall request assistance from a district attorney, deputy district attorney or assistant district attorney from other prosecutorial units or an assistant attorney general. A district attorney requesting the appointment of a special prosecutor, or a court if the court is appointing a special prosecutor on its own motion, shall notify the department of administration, on a form provided by that department, of office that the district attorney's attorney or the court's inability court, whichever is appropriate, is unable to obtain assistance from another prosecutorial unit or from an assistant attorney general.

AB231,21 Section 21. 978.045 (1r) (bm) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB231,11,15 978.045 (1r) (bm) (intro.) The judge may appoint an attorney as a special prosecutor at the request of a district attorney to assist the district attorney in the prosecution of persons charged with a crime, in grand jury proceedings, in proceedings under ch. 980, or in investigations. The judge may appoint an attorney as a special prosecutor only if the judge or the requesting district attorney submits an affidavit to the department of administration office attesting that any of the following conditions exists:

AB231,22 Section 22. 978.045 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB231,12,2 978.045 (2) If the department of administration office approves the appointment of a special prosecutor under sub. (1r), the court shall fix the amount of compensation for the attorney appointed according to the rates specified in s. 977.08 (4m) (b). The department of administration shall pay the compensation ordered by the court from the appropriation under s. 20.475 (1) (d). The court, district attorney, and the special prosecutor shall provide any information regarding a payment of compensation that the department requests. Any payment under this subsection earns interest on the balance due from the 121st day after receipt of a properly completed invoice or receipt and acceptance of the property or service under the order or contract, whichever is later, at the rate specified in s. 71.82 (1) (a) compounded monthly.

AB231,23 Section 23 . 978.05 (9) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB231,12,6 978.05 (9) Budget. Prepare a biennial budget request for submission to the department executive director under s. 978.11 978.004 (1) (b) by September 1 of each even-numbered year.

AB231,24 Section 24. 978.11 of the statutes is repealed.

AB231,25 Section 25. 978.12 (1) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB231,12,19 978.12 (1) (c) Assistant district attorneys. Assistant district attorneys shall be employed outside the classified service. For purposes of salary administration, the administrator of the division of personnel management in the department of administration, in consultation with the office, shall establish one or more classifications for assistant district attorneys in accordance with the classification or classifications allocated to assistant attorneys general. Except as provided in ss. 111.93 (3) (b) and 230.12 (10), the salaries of assistant district attorneys shall be established and adjusted in accordance with the state compensation plan for assistant attorneys general whose positions are allocated to the classification or classifications established by the administrator of the division of personnel management in the department of administration under this paragraph.

AB231,26 Section 26. Nonstatutory provisions.

AB231,13,2 (1) Initial terms for prosecutor board members. Notwithstanding section 15.77 of the statutes, of the members of the prosecutor board who are appointed as initial members, one member representing each district under section 752.11 (1) (b) and (d) of the statutes and one member under section 15.77 (3) of the statutes shall serve for a one-year term and one member representing the district under section 752.11 (1) (c) of the statutes, one member under section 15.77 (2) of the statutes, and one member under section 15.77 (3) of the statutes shall serve for a 2-year term.

AB231,13,3 (2) Transfer of state prosecutors office.

AB231,13,7 (a) Assets and liabilities. On the effective date of this paragraph, the assets and liabilities of the department of administration that are primarily related to the state prosecutors office, as determined by the secretary of administration, become the assets and liabilities of the prosecutor board.

AB231,13,11 (b) Tangible personal property. On the effective date of this paragraph, all tangible personal property, including records, of the department of administration that is primarily related to the state prosecutors office, as determined by the secretary of administration, is transferred to the prosecutor board.

AB231,13,17 (c) Contracts. All contracts entered into by the department of administration that are primarily related to the state prosecutors office, as determined by the secretary of administration, in effect on the effective date of this paragraph, remain in effect and are transferred to the prosecutor board. The prosecutor board shall carry out any such contractual obligations unless modified or rescinded by the prosecutor board to the extent allowed under the contract.

AB231,13,23 (d) Pending matters. Any matter pending with the department of administration that is primarily related to the state prosecutors office, as determined by the secretary of administration, on the effective date of this paragraph, is transferred to the prosecutor board, and all materials submitted to or actions taken by the department of administration, with respect to the pending matter are considered as having been submitted to or taken by the prosecutor board.

AB231,14,3 (e) Rules and orders. All rules promulgated for the department of administration that are primarily related to the state prosecutors office, as determined by the secretary of administration, that are in effect on the effective date of this paragraph remain in effect until their specified expiration dates or until amended or repealed by the prosecutor board.

AB231,14,4 (End)