S 6271: Authorizes courts to hold evidentiary hearings for a temporary order of protection in certain circumstances; grants superior court judges the authority to issue a temporary order of protection when an action is pending in a local criminal court in certain circumstances.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6271 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE March 7, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. RAMOS, KAVANAGH, MYRIE, RIVERA, SALAZAR, SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes AN ACT to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to the issuance of temporary orders of protection when an action is pending in a local criminal court The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The criminal procedure law is amended by adding a new 2 section 530.15 to read as follows: 3 § 530.15 Temporary order of protection hearing. 4 Where a court has issued a temporary order of protection pursuant to 5 subdivision one of section 530.12 of this article or subdivision one of 6 section 530.13 of this article, upon application of a defendant, the 7 court shall hold an evidentiary hearing where the prosecutor must show, 8 by clear and convincing evidence, that the temporary order of protection 9 is necessary to achieve its purpose of protecting a designated witness 10 or complainant from intimidation or injury. 11 (a) The defendant shall be entitled to such hearing within one hundred 12 twenty hours of requesting such hearing or, in the event that a Satur- 13 day, Sunday, or legal holiday occurs, within one hundred forty-four 14 hours of requesting such hearing. Notice must be given by the court to 15 both parties, as well as the party protected by the order of protection, 16 in advance of the hearing. Such notice shall detail the rights of the 17 protected party with respect to the hearing and describe the different 18 types of temporary orders of protection available. 19 (b) At the hearing, the prosecution must present relevant witness 20 testimony, or admissible evidence, subject to cross-examination, though 21 the witness need not be the party protected by the order. 22 (c) The court shall state on the record or in writing its findings of 23 facts and conclusions of law, the reasons for maintaining, vacating, or 24 modifying the temporary order of protection, and, where applicable, why 25 the temporary order of protection is necessary to achieve its purpose of EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD03134-01-5 
 S. 6271 2 1 protecting a designated witness or complainant from intimidation or 2 injury. 3 § 2. Section 530.30 of the criminal procedure law, the section heading 4 and subdivisions 1 and 2 as amended by section 17 of part JJJ of chapter 5 59 of the laws of 2019, the closing paragraph of subdivision 1 as 6 amended by section 7 of subpart A of part VV of chapter 56 of the laws 7 of 2023, is amended to read as follows: 8 § 530.30 Order of recognizance, release under non-monetary conditions or 9 bail or issuance of a temporary order of protection; by supe- 10 rior court judge when action is pending in local criminal 11 court. 12 1. When a criminal action is pending in a local criminal court, other 13 than one consisting of a superior court judge sitting as such, a judge 14 of a superior court holding a term thereof in the county, upon applica- 15 tion of a defendant, may order recognizance, release under non-monetary 16 conditions or, where authorized, bail when such local criminal court: 17 (a) Lacks authority to issue such an order, pursuant to the relevant 18 provisions of section 530.20 of this article; or 19 (b) Has denied an application for recognizance, release under non-mon- 20 etary conditions or bail; or 21 (c) Has fixed bail, where authorized, which is excessive; or 22 (d) Has set a securing order of release under non-monetary conditions 23 which are more restrictive than necessary to reasonably assure the 24 defendant's return to court. 25 In such case, such superior court judge may vacate the order of such 26 local criminal court and release the defendant on recognizance or under 27 non-monetary conditions, or where authorized, fix bail in a lesser 28 amount or in a less burdensome form, or order non-monetary conditions in 29 conjunction with fixing bail, including fixing bail in a lesser amount 30 or in a less burdensome form, the determination for which shall be made 31 in accordance with section 510.10 of this title. The court shall explain 32 the basis for its determination and choice of securing order on the 33 record or in writing. 34 2. When a criminal action is pending in a local criminal court, other 35 than one consisting of a superior court judge sitting as such, and the 36 local criminal court has denied a request to modify or limit a temporary 37 order of protection issued pursuant to subdivision one of section 530.12 38 of this article or subdivision one of section 530.13 of this article, 39 upon application of a defendant, a judge of the superior court holding a 40 term thereof in the county shall review the determination of the local 41 criminal court de novo and may vacate or modify the order of the local 42 criminal court. A court's failure to comply with the requirements of 43 section 530.15 of this article is reviewable under this section. 44 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision one or two of this 45 section, when the defendant is charged with a felony in a local criminal 46 court, a superior court judge may not order recognizance, release under 47 non-monetary conditions or, where authorized, bail, or vacate or modify 48 a temporary order of protection unless and until the district attorney 49 has had an opportunity to be heard in the matter and such judge and 50 counsel for the defendant have been furnished with a report as described 51 in subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (b) of subdivision two of section 52 530.20 of this article. 53 [3.] 4. Not more than one application may be made pursuant to each 54 subdivision of this section. 55 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.