Pennsylvania Act 2000-107 — CONVICTS AND PRISONERS - AMEND ESCAPEE COSTS, COUNTY AND STATE

Act text

Session of 2000

No. 2000-107

SB 1280

AN ACT

Amending the act of July 22, 1913 (P.L.912, No.437), entitled "An act providing for the payment of the costs incurred in the trial of convicts and prisoners escaping, or attempting to escape, from the several penitentiaries and reformatories of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, by the respective counties from whose courts the said escaping convicts or prisoners have been committed; and providing for the maintenance of such convicts under sentence for escape, et cetera," further providing for escapee costs and for maintenance of escaping convicts under new sentence.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 2 of the act of July 22, 1913 (P.L.912, No.437), entitled "An act providing for the payment of the costs incurred in the trial of convicts and prisoners escaping, or attempting to escape, from the several penitentiaries and reformatories of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, by the respective counties from whose courts the said escaping convicts or prisoners have been committed; and providing for the maintenance of such convicts under sentence for escape, et cetera," amended October 26, 1972 (P.L.1035, No.257), is amended to read:

Section 2. Escapee costs.

(a) County jurisdiction.-- The cost of transporting escaped persons, prisoners, and convicts under the jurisdiction of the county from the place of capture to [the correctional institution, penitentiary, or reformatory] any county detention facility, jail or prison after being sentenced for such escape, or for the commission of any crime or offense following such escape and before apprehension, the cost of maintenance while confined in the county jail awaiting trial, as well as the costs of the trial for [escape or breaking away of persons, convicts, and prisoners from the several penitentiaries, correctional institutions, and reformatories in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or] the violation by said persons, convicts, and prisoners under the jurisdiction of the county of any or all of the penal statutes relating to escape, or of the trial for crime and offenses committed after such escape and before apprehension, or of the trial for crimes and offenses committed on the grounds or within the buildings of [the correctional institution, penitentiary, or reformatory] any county detention facility, jail or prison , as well as the costs incurred in any proceedings on writs of habeas corpus, coram nobis or other petitions arising out of any escape or crime or the trials therefor, or in any appeals of any such proceedings or trials, shall in each instance be borne and paid by the respective counties of the Commonwealth from whose courts the said persons, convicts, and prisoners shall have been originally committed to [the said penitentiaries, correctional institutions, or reformatories] any county detention facility, jail or prison . The term "costs" also includes, but is not limited to, charges for court stenographer, district attorney, witness fees, [justice of the peace costs] district justices , clerk of court, public defender and court appointed attorney.

The county liable for such costs, as above provided, shall, upon bills rendered by the county paying such costs in the first instance, pay to such county the amount of such costs, forthwith.

(b) State jurisdiction.--The cost of transporting escaped persons, prisoners, and convicts under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth from the place of capture to any State penal or correctional institution after being sentenced for such escape, or for the commission of any crime or offense following such escape and before apprehension, as well as the costs of the trial for escape or breaking away of persons, convicts, and prisoners from any State penal or correctional institution, or the violation by said persons, convicts, and prisoners under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth of any or all of the penal statutes relating to escape, or of the trial for crime and offenses committed after such escape and before apprehension, or of the trial for crimes and offenses committed on the grounds or within the buildings of any State penal or correctional institution, as well as the costs incurred in any proceedings on writs of habeas corpus, coram nobis or other petitions arising out of any escape or crime or the trials therefore, or in any appeals of any such proceedings or trials, shall in each instance be borne and paid by the Commonwealth. The term "costs" also includes, but is not limited to, charges for court stenographer, district attorney, witness fees, district justice, clerk of court, public defender and court appointed attorney.

Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

APPROVED--The 20th day of December, A. D. 2000.

THOMAS J. RIDGE