Habeas venue bill would let parolees file time‑computation petitions in their home county or Carson City

The Assembly Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 66, which would change venue rules for a narrow category of habeas corpus petitions that challenge computation of time served.

Presenters from the Attorney General’s Office told the committee the bill addresses confusion about where parolees and others no longer in custody should file petitions that challenge calculation of credits or time served. Under current law (NRS 34.738), time‑computation petitions must be filed in the county of incarceration or, for persons incarcerated outside Nevada, in the First Judicial District Court in Carson City. The change in SB 66 would allow individuals who are no longer in custody to file the petition in the county where they reside or, if they reside outside Nevada, in the First Judicial District Court.

Jamie Stills, senior deputy attorney general, explained there are two types of habeas petitions in state law: petitions that challenge a conviction and sentence, and petitions that challenge computation of time served. Stills said the office has seen an increase in filings from people who are no longer incarcerated but who seek to contest when their sentence will expire. Because existing law ties venue to the place of incarceration, there was no clear provision for those who have left custody, creating confusion for both filers and courts.

Heather Proctor, chief deputy with the Nevada Attorney General’s Office, accompanied Stills and offered the office’s presentation. Committee members asked no questions; no public testimony was offered in support, opposition, or neutral positions. The committee closed the hearing after presenters’ final remarks.