§ 12-25.1-3. Confiscation of criminal royalties - Criminal royalties fund - Priority of claims against criminal royalties fund. (a) Every person, firm, corporation, partnership, association, or other legal entity contracting with a criminally responsible person, alleged criminally responsible person, or with the legal representative or assignee of the person regarding the commercial exploitation of the events and circumstances constituting and/or surrounding and/or motivating the crime or alleged crime shall submit a copy of the contract, within ten (10) days of the making of the contract, to the general treasurer and shall pay over to the general treasurer, within ten (10) days of it becoming due and payable, any and all monies or other compensation which would otherwise by the terms of the contract be due and payable to or distributed at the direction of that person. All rights, causes of action, or other entitlements accruing to any criminally responsible person, alleged criminally responsible person, or the legal representative or assignee of the person for the commercial exploitation shall inure to and be enforceable by the general treasurer for the benefit of the criminal royalties fund established by this chapter.

(b) All monies paid to or recovered by the general treasurer pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be collectively known as the "criminal royalties fund." Except as required for payment of awards under this chapter, the general treasurer shall manage and invest the criminal royalties fund in accordance with § 35-10-11.

(c)(1) Claims against any portion of the criminal royalties fund attributable to a specific criminally responsible person shall have the following priorities:

(i) Claims by the state for costs incurred in providing defense counsel for the criminally responsible person by means of the public defender or a court appointed attorney;

(ii) Claims by the state and its political subdivisions for costs incurred in the investigation of the crime and the prosecution and trial of the criminally responsible person;

(iii) Claims by the victim or victims of the criminally responsible person pursuant to § 12-25.1-4;

(iv) Claims by the state pursuant to § 12-25-26;

(v) Civil judgments in favor of the victim or victims of the criminally responsible person;

(vi) After claims arising under paragraphs (i) - (v) of this subdivision have been resolved and the statute of limitations for the claims has expired, one-half (1/2) of the remainder of the funds attributable to a specific criminally responsible person shall be transferred to the violent crimes indemnity fund established by § 12-25-28;

(vii) Claims by other creditors of the criminally responsible person; and

(viii) Claims by the criminally responsible person or persons claiming through him or her.

(2) Claims against the criminal royalties fund shall be made against the portion of the fund attributable to the specific criminally responsible person and not against the fund as a whole. No payment shall be made out of the fund when that payment would be in derogation of claims, either present or pending, entitled to a higher priority under this subsection. The general treasurer may bring an action of interpleader or an action for a declaratory judgment where he or she cannot determine the priority of claims and the proper disposition of funds. Monies in the fund shall not be subject to execution, levy, attachment, or lien except in accordance with the priorities set forth in this subsection. Any party aggrieved by a final determination and order of the general treasurer arising from his administration of the criminal royalties fund may seek judicial review of the decision pursuant to The Administrative Procedures Act, chapter 35 of title 42.

History of Section. (P.L. 1983, ch. 328, § 1; P.L. 2001, ch. 86, § 24.)