(725 ILCS 5/115-21)
Sec. 115-21. Informant testimony.
(a) For the purposes of this Section, "informant" means someone who is purporting to testify about admissions made to him or her by the accused while incarcerated in a penal institution contemporaneously.
(b) This Section applies to any capital case in which the prosecution attempts to introduce evidence of incriminating statements made by the accused to or overheard by an informant.
(c) In any case under this Section, the prosecution shall timely disclose in discovery:
(1) the complete criminal history of the informant;
(2) any deal, promise, inducement, or benefit that
the offering party has made or will make in the future to the informant;
(3) the statements made by the accused;
(4) the time and place of the statements, the time
and place of their disclosure to law enforcement officials, and the names of all persons who were present when the statements were made;
(5) whether at any time the informant recanted that
testimony or statement and, if so, the time and place of the recantation, the nature of the recantation, and the names of the persons who were present at the recantation;
(6) other cases in which the informant testified,
provided that the existence of such testimony can be ascertained through reasonable inquiry and whether the informant received any promise, inducement, or benefit in exchange for or subsequent to that testimony or statement; and
(7) any other information relevant to the informant's
credibility.
(d) In any case under this Section, the prosecution must timely disclose its intent to introduce the testimony of an informant. The court shall conduct a hearing to determine whether the testimony of the informant is reliable, unless the defendant waives such a hearing. If the prosecution fails to show by a preponderance of the evidence that the informant's testimony is reliable, the court shall not allow the testimony to be heard at trial. At this hearing, the court shall consider the factors enumerated in subsection (c) as well as any other factors relating to reliability.
(e) A hearing required under subsection (d) does not apply to statements covered under subsection (b) that are lawfully recorded.
(f) This Section applies to all death penalty prosecutions initiated on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly.
(Source: P.A. 93-605, eff. 11-19-03.)
Sections: Previous 115-16 115-17 115-17a 115-17b 115-18 115-19 115-20 115-21 115-22 116-1 116-2 116-2.1 116-3 116-4 116-5 Next
Last modified: February 18, 2015