(a) A statewide domestic violence fatality review team shall be established to review fatal and near-fatal incidents of domestic violence, related domestic violence matters, and suicides. Additional teams at the local and regional levels may be established as well in conjunction with local law enforcement agencies, the local domestic violence center, and local judicial officers including the court, prosecutor, and public defender. Teams established at the local and regional levels shall be chaired by the district attorney of that particular jurisdiction. The membership of a domestic violence fatality review team shall be inclusive and reflect the racial, gender, geographic, urban/rural, and economic diversity of the state. The review may include an examination of events leading up to the domestic violence incident, available community resources, current laws and policies, and actions taken by organizations, agencies, and individuals incident to the events and the parties. Any information or action deemed relevant by the review team, including an assessment of public records and records for which public records exemptions are granted may also be included within the purview of the review.
(b) Domestic violence fatality review teams shall be established for the purpose of learning how to prevent domestic violence through early intervention and improving the quality of the response by individuals and institutions to domestic violence. The specific structure and operating procedures employed by a review team shall be determined at the local level. The review team may determine the number and type of incidents it wishes to review and shall make policy and other recommendations on how the community may more effectively respond to the needs of domestic violence victims.
(c) Any member of a domestic violence fatality review team or any person acting as a witness to or investigator for a domestic violence fatality review team, in addition to any immunity provided otherwise in state law, is not liable to any person for damages as a result of any action taken within the scope of the functions of that review team if such action was taken without malice, wantonness, or in a reasonable belief that such action or recommendation is warranted by the facts made known to him or her.
(d) The statewide domestic violence fatality review team is assigned to the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency for administrative purposes.
(e) Information, testimony, records, reports, recommendations, or other evidence obtained, generated, or transmitted by a domestic violence fatality review team shall not be subject to discovery, subpoena, or introduction into evidence in any civil action, or in any administrative or disciplinary proceeding by any department or employing agency if the information or records arose out of matters that are the subject of evaluation and review by the review team. However, information, documents, and records otherwise independently discovered and available from other sources shall not be exempt from discovery, subpoena, or introduction into evidence solely because the information, documents, or records were presented to or reviewed by a review team.
(f) A person who attends or participates in a meeting of a domestic violence fatality review team may not testify in any civil or criminal action or administrative or disciplinary proceedings concerning any records or information produced or presented to the review team or the proceedings or deliberations of the review team authorized by this section. This subsection does not preclude or exempt any person who testifies before a review team or who is a member of a review team from testifying to matters otherwise within his or her knowledge.
(g) Any information or records otherwise confidential or privileged or exempt from disclosure under Section 36-12-40 or under another provision of Alabama law which are obtained by or provided to a review team conducting activities as described pursuant to this chapter shall remain confidential or privileged or exempt from disclosure as otherwise provided by law. Any portion of a report produced by the review team that contains information that is otherwise confidential or privileged in accordance with Alabama law shall remain confidential or privileged as otherwise provided by law.
Last modified: May 3, 2021