(a) Any person, firm, corporation, partnership, association or other legal entity contracting with any person or the representative or assignee of any person accused of a crime of violence in this state, with respect to the reenactment of such crime, by way of a movie, book, magazine article, radio or television presentation, live entertainment of any kind, or from the expression of such person's thoughts, feelings, opinions or emotions regarding such crime, shall pay over to the Office of Victim Services any moneys which would otherwise, by terms of such contract, be owing to the persons so accused or the accused's representatives. The Office of Victim Services shall deposit such moneys in an interest-bearing escrow account for the benefit of and payable to such accused person for the expenses of his or her defense and any victim of a crime of violence committed by such person, provided such person is finally convicted of a crime of violence for which compensation may be paid and, provided further such victim brings a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction within five years of the date of the crime and recovers a money judgment against such person or his or her representatives. Any covenant, promise, agreement or understanding entered into or in connection with or collateral to a contract or agreement relative to the payment of any person accused or convicted of a crime of violence which attempts to circumvent the provisions of this section is prohibited.

(b) If no victim brings a civil action within five years of the date of the crime and recovers a money judgment, the moneys in any such escrow account shall be paid to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund established under section 54-215. If there is an affirmative finding that the person accused of the crime is not guilty within such five-year period, the money in any such escrow account shall be returned to such person.

(P.A. 82-328; P.A. 93-310, S. 16, 32; P.A. 95-175, S. 11.)

History: P.A. 93-310 deleted “clerk of the court of the judicial district in which the crime is alleged to have been committed” to the “office of victim services” and made technical changes, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-175 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re return of money if affirmative finding that person accused of crime is not guilty.