Bill > SB289

This bill establishes new procedures for the use and preservation of body-worn camera (BWC) recordings in criminal, juvenile delinquency, and administrative proceedings. The bill allows law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to copy BWC recordings for discovery purposes, with specific limitations: parties can use the recordings as exhibits following rules of evidence, but cannot further copy or distribute them without a court order, except to consult with experts who are also bound by the restrictions. The recordings can only be accessed for case-related purposes, and all copies must be destroyed when the case closes. For cases resolved through trial or adjudication, the original BWC recordings must be maintained by the law enforcement agency until the defendant completes their sentence, and parties can access them for post-conviction remedies. The bill defines "close of the case" as the expiration of the appeal period following the final trial court conclusion, and explicitly states that a case is not considered closed during appeals or post-conviction litigation. Any person who knowingly violates these provisions will be guilty of a misdemeanor. The bill is designed to protect the integrity of BWC recordings while ensuring they can be used appropriately in legal proceedings.

Justice

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/bill_status.aspx?lsr=1077&sy=2025&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2025&txtbillnumber=SB289