Note

Part heading added by L 1983, c 78, §3(2).

§846-1 Definitions. In this chapter, unless a different meaning plainly is required:

"Accurate" refers to the fact that criminal history record information contains no erroneous information of a material nature.

"Administration of criminal justice" means performance of any of the following activities: detection; apprehension; detention; pretrial release; post-trial release; prosecution; adjudication; correctional supervision; or rehabilitation of accused persons or criminal offenders; and includes criminal identification activities and the collection, storage, and dissemination of criminal history record information; but does not include crime prevention activities or criminal defense functions.

"Complete" refers to the fact that criminal history record information should show all dispositions as the case moves through the various segments of the criminal justice system.

"Criminal history record check" means a search by name using the state computerized criminal history record information system, and by fingerprints using the state automated fingerprint identification system.

"Criminal history record information" means information collected by criminal justice agencies on individuals consisting of identifiable descriptions and notations of arrests, detentions, indictments, and other formal criminal charges, and any disposition arising therefrom, sentencing, formal correctional supervisory action, and release; but does not include intelligence or investigative information, identification information to the extent that such information does not indicate involvement of the individual in the criminal justice system, and information derived from offender-based transaction statistics systems which do not reveal the identity of individuals.

"Criminal history record information system" or "system" means a system, including the equipment, facilities, procedures, agreements, and organizations thereof, for the collection, processing, preservation, or dissemination of intrastate, interstate, and national criminal justice data.

"Criminal history record name inquiry" means a search by name and other identifying information using the state computerized criminal history record information system.

"Criminal justice agency" means:

(1) Courts; or

(2) A government agency or any subunit thereof which performs the administration of criminal justice pursuant to a statute or executive order, and which allocates a substantial part of its annual budget to the administration of criminal justice.

"Data center" means the state agency responsible for the collection, storage, dissemination, and analysis of all pertinent criminal justice data and related functions, including but not limited to, functioning as the state repository for criminal history records, providing technical assistance in the development of information systems, and conducting appropriate research and statistical studies.

"Disposition" means information disclosing that criminal proceedings have been concluded, including information disclosing that the police have elected not to refer a matter to a prosecutor or that a prosecutor has elected not to commence criminal proceedings and also disclosing the nature of the termination of the proceedings, or information disclosing that proceedings have been indefinitely postponed and also disclosing the reason for such postponement, and shall include but is not limited to acquittal, acquittal by reason of insanity, acquittal by reason of mental incompetence, case continued without finding, charge dismissed, charge dismissed due to insanity, charge dismissed due to mental incompetency, charge still pending due to insanity, charge still pending due to mental incompetence, guilty plea, nolle prosequi, nolo contendere plea, convicted, youthful offender determination or transfer to juvenile jurisdiction, deceased, deferred disposition, dismissed-civil action, found insane or mentally incompetent, pardoned, probation before conviction, sentence commuted, adjudication withheld, mistrial- defendant discharged, executive clemency, placed on probation, paroled, released from correctional supervision, or fugitive from justice.

"Dissemination" means transmission of criminal history record information to individuals and agencies, other than the criminal justice agency which maintains the criminal history record information, but it does not include the reporting of such information as required by law, the reporting of data on a particular transaction to another criminal justice agency so as to permit the initiation of subsequent criminal justice proceedings, the use of such information by an employee or officer of the agency maintaining the records, and the reporting of a criminal justice transaction to a state, local, or federal repository.

"Nonconviction data" means arrest information without a disposition if an interval of one year has elapsed from the date of arrest and no active prosecution of the charge is pending; or information disclosing that the police have elected not to refer a matter to a prosecutor, or that a prosecutor has elected not to commence criminal proceedings, or that proceedings have been indefinitely postponed, as well as all acquittals and all dismissals. [L 1979, c 129, pt of §2; am L 1983, c 78, §3(3); am L 2006, c 132, §1]

Revision Note

Definitions restyled and rearranged.