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S 5417

Relates to authorizing uniformed court officers and court clerks designated as peace officers to execute arrest warrants

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Andrew Lanza

Authorizes uniformed court officers and designated court clerks as peace officers to execute arrest warrants, expanding who can carry out warrant enforcement.

REFERRED TO CODES
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 5417

Summary of Senate Bill S 5417

status: Referred to Codes (as of introduced date)

  • Bill Number: S 5417
  • Title: Relates to authorizing uniformed court officers and court clerks designated as peace officers to execute arrest warrants
  • Sponsor: Andrew J. Lanza (primary)
  • Introduced: February 21, 2025
  • Legislative Actions: 2025-02-21 – Referred to Codes (listed twice in the record)
  • Related Bills (prior-session): S 5755, S 814, S 4588, S 4112

Purpose and Intent

  • The bill seeks to authorize uniformed court officers and court clerks who are designated as peace officers to execute arrest warrants.
  • In short, it expands the set of individuals who may carry out arrest warrants issued within the judiciary's framework, potentially extending enforcement authority beyond traditional police or sheriff units.

Key Provisions (as described by the available information)

  • The core provision is a grant of authority to:
    • Uniformed court officers
    • Court clerks who are designated as peace officers
    • To execute arrest warrants
  • Specifics such as criteria for designation, scope of warrants (which types of warrants, under what circumstances, geographic limitations), training requirements, oversight mechanisms, and any limitations are not provided in the available summary. The actual bill text would clarify these details.

Who Would Be Affected

  • Directly affected:
    • Uniformed court officers (as designated by the judiciary)
    • Court clerks designated as peace officers
  • Indirectly affected:
    • The judiciary and court system (operational procedures, enforcement capacity)
    • Law enforcement agencies that may coordinate with court-designated officers
    • Individuals subject to arrest warrants (arrested or potential arrestees)
    • Public safety and due process stakeholders (oversight, training, accountability)

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Status: Introduced and referred to the Codes Committee on February 21, 2025.
  • The record shows the bill was referred to Codes, with the action appearing twice in the legislative actions, suggesting a standard committee referral process in its early-stage consideration.
  • Related prior-session bills (S 5755, S 814, S 4588, S 4112) indicate similar themes or earlier attempts to authorize court personnel to execute warrants, which may inform context or amendments in S 5417.

Potential Implications and Considerations

  • Operational impact: Potentially increases the judiciary’s enforcement capacity by enabling court personnel to directly execute warrants.
  • Safety and accountability: May necessitate explicit training standards, supervision, and oversight provisions to protect rights and ensure safe execution of warrants.
  • Legal and constitutional considerations: Need to align with existing warrant procedures, jurisdictional boundaries, and due process requirements.
  • Costs and resources: Could entail training, equipment, and supervision costs for the judiciary; potential savings or efficiencies in warrant execution workflows.

Notes for Stakeholders

  • Monitor the bill’s language for concrete provisions on designation criteria, scope of warrants, coordination with police, oversight mechanisms, and funding.
  • Track amendments during committee deliberations in Codes to see how authority, limitations, and safeguards are defined.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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