2020 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 18 - Criminal Code
Article 1. Provisions Applicable to Offenses Generally
Section 18-1-1105. Law enforcement agency request for permission to dispose of evidence procedures.
(1) A law enforcement agency may not request permission to dispose of DNA evidence in cases described in section 18-1-1102 (1)(a) and (1)(b).
In cases described in section 18-1-1102 (1)(c) and (1)(d), a law enforcement agencymay seek to dispose of DNA evidence by providing notice, in the form developed pursuant to section 18-1-1108, to the district attorney that prosecuted the charges arising out of the investigation.
Upon receipt of the notice described in subsection (2) of this section, the districtattorney shall determine whether to object to the disposal of the DNA evidence. The district attorney may determine that a portion of the DNA evidence may be disposed of and a portion of the DNA evidence shall be preserved.
(a) If the district attorney determines that the DNA evidence should not be disposed of, the district attorney shall provide notice to the law enforcement agency that the DNA evidence shall be preserved. Upon the receipt of the notice from the district attorney to preserve the DNA evidence, the law enforcement agency shall preserve the DNA evidence until such time as the law enforcement agency is permitted by a court order to dispose of the DNA evidence.
(b) (I) If the district attorney determines that all or a portion of the DNA evidence may be disposed of, he or she shall send notice to the defendant and the law enforcement agency specifying which DNA evidence may be disposed of. Notice to the defendant shall include a copy of the notice form prepared by the law enforcement agency pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.
The defendant shall have ninety-eight days from the date the notice was sent by thedistrict attorney to file a motion to preserve DNA evidence in the court in which the defendant was convicted. The motion shall state specific grounds supporting the preservation of the DNA evidence, and the defendant shall provide copies of the motion to the district attorney and the law enforcement agency.
If no motion is filed within the ninety-eight-day period, the district attorney or thelaw enforcement agency requesting disposal of the evidence shall file with the court a copy of the notice sent to the defendant pursuant to subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (b), and the court shall forthwith, without hearing, enter an order authorizing disposal of the DNA evidence and provide copies of the order to the defendant, district attorney, and law enforcement agency.
If the defendant files a motion, the court shall follow the procedure set forth insubsection (6) of this section.
(c) (I) If the law enforcement agency does not receive notice from the district attorney as described in paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection (4) within a reasonable amount of time or does receive timely notice from the district attorney pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (4), the law enforcement agency may file a motion with the court that entered the conviction in the case in which the evidence was collected, asking for a court order to dispose of the DNA evidence. The motion shall include a copy of the notice the law enforcement agency provided to the district attorney. The law enforcement agency shall provide a copy of the disposal motion to the district attorney and the defendant contemporaneously with the filing of the motion. The law enforcement agency shall specify the DNA evidence for which disposal is requested in the motion.
(II) The defendant or the district attorney shall have ninety-eight days after the disposal motion is sent to file an objection in the court in which the disposal motion was filed. The objection shall state specific grounds supporting the preservation of the DNA evidence. If the district attorney files an objection, the district attorney shall provide copies of the objection to the defendant and the law enforcement agency. If the defendant files an objection, the defendant shall provide copies of the objection to the district attorney and the law enforcement agency.
The defendant, through legal counsel, shall have a reasonable right to review theDNA evidence to prepare the filing of a timely objection to the disposal motion or the district attorney's notice received pursuant to paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of this section.
(a) Upon receipt pursuant to subparagraph (II) of paragraph (c) of subsection (4) of this section of a timely filed objection, the court may deny the objection without a hearing if it finds on the face of the objection no grounds supporting the request to preserve the DNA evidence. The court shall then enter an order authorizing disposal of the DNA evidence and provide copies of the order to the defendant, district attorney, and law enforcement agency.
If the court determines that a timely filed objection or motion to preserve states adequate grounds to require preservation of the DNA evidence, the court may set a hearing on the objection or motion to preserve, with notice to the district attorney, the law enforcement agency, and the defendant, or the court may deny the disposal motion without a hearing.
In considering an objection or motion to preserve pursuant to this subsection (6), thecourt shall consider the following factors in determining whether to order preservation of the DNA evidence:
Whether identification was a disputed issue;
Whether the evidence contains known DNA;
Whether it is possible to perform DNA testing on the evidence that has not previously been performed;
Whether the defendant has served all of his or her sentence; and
Whether the defendant has state appellate or collateral attack rights that have notbeen exhausted, in which case there shall be a presumption that the DNA evidence should be preserved.
(d) Following a hearing on a disposal motion or motion to preserve, the court shall enter an order either authorizing disposal of the DNA evidence or ordering the DNA evidence to be preserved. If the court orders preservation, the order may state the length of time the DNA evidence shall be preserved or establish a condition precedent for the disposition of the DNA evidence.
Source: L. 2009: Entire part R&RE, (HB 09-1121), ch. 20, p. 99, § 1, effective March 18. L. 2012: (4)(b)(II), (4)(b)(III), and (4)(c)(II) amended, (SB 12-175), ch. 208, p. 863, § 104, effective July 1.
Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 18-1-1103 as it existed prior to 2009.
