19-5301. DISTRIBUTION OF MONEYS RECEIVED AS A RESULT OF THE COMMISSION OF CRIME. (1) Every 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 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 state treasurer any moneys which would otherwise, by terms of such contract, be owing to the person so convicted or his representatives. The state treasurer shall deposit such moneys in an escrow account for the benefit of and payable to any victim of crimes committed by such person, provided that such person is eventually convicted of the crime or is acquitted on the ground of mental disease or defect excluding responsibility and provided further that such victim, or his personal representative, within five (5) years of the date the escrow account has been established, brings a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction and recovers a money judgment against such person or his representatives.

(2) The state treasurer, at least once every six (6) months for five (5) years from the date it receives such moneys, shall cause to have published a legal notice in newspapers of general circulation in the county of the state where the crime was committed advising such victims that such escrow moneys are available to satisfy money judgments pursuant to this section.

(3) Upon disposition of charges favorable to any person accused of committing a crime, or upon a showing by such person that five (5) years have elapsed from the establishment of such escrow account and further that no actions are pending against such person, pursuant to this section the board shall immediately pay over any moneys in the escrow account to such person.

(4) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section the state treasurer shall make payments from an escrow account to any person accused of crime upon the order of a court of competent jurisdiction after a showing by such person that such moneys shall be used for the exclusive purpose of retaining legal representation at any stage of the proceedings against such person, including the appeals process.

(5) Any action taken by any person convicted of a crime, whether by way of execution of a power of attorney, creation of corporate entities or otherwise, to defeat the purpose of this section shall be null and void as against the public policy of this state.

(6) The state treasurer may invest the moneys in any escrow account hereunder in any United States government notes or securities.

(7) The attorney general or any other person may bring an action in a court of competent jurisdiction to require the deposit of moneys in an escrow account as provided in this section.

History:

[19-5301, added 1978, ch. 259, sec. 1, p. 564.]