Committee advances uniform Brady/Giglio standards, adopts stakeholder amendment
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Summary
The House Public Safety Committee adopted an amendment to House File 962, a bill the author said would create statewide standards and appeal rights for Brady/Giglio designations, and re‑referred the measure to the Judiciary Committee after stakeholder testimony and member questions about defense‑bar input and data access.
Chair Novotny introduced House File 962 on the Brady/Giglio process and moved the DE3 amendment, which the committee adopted by voice vote. The bill aims to create uniform, appealable standards for prosecutors’ Brady/Giglio lists, which track law enforcement officers whose credibility may be questioned.
Dave Titus, executive director of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, testified that his organization supports the amendment as progress but said more work remains on allowing a third‑party neutral review and on preventing Brady designation from being used as the sole basis for employment discipline. “We need a uniform Brady process,” Titus said, but added that associations are seeking greater protections for officers’ ability to challenge a designation.
Mark Schneider, general counsel for Law Enforcement Labor Services, and other law enforcement representatives told the committee the DE3 draft reflects stakeholder collaboration. Brad Johnson, Anoka County attorney and leader of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association work group, said the association has developed a toolkit and that the language before the committee reflects substantial interagency discussion, though the board of directors had not yet formally approved it.
Members asked whether defenders and defense‑side organizations have been engaged. Johnson and others said prosecutors and law enforcement were the primary participants to date and that additional input from public defenders, defendant‑rights groups, municipal attorneys and public‑employee unions remains appropriate as the bill advances. Representative Grama, a former public defender, said she expects broader defense‑bar input before floor action to protect defendants’ due‑process rights.
After questions and brief debate, Chair Novotny renewed his motion and House File 962 as amended was re‑referred to the Judiciary Committee by voice vote. The committee record shows adoption of the DE3 amendment and re‑referral; a formal roll‑call tally was not recorded in the transcript.
Next steps: HF962 will go to the Judiciary Committee for further consideration and any additional stakeholder amendments.