Courts: management and destruction of trial court exhibits.

Existing law provides that, for purposes of specified provisions governing the management of trial court records, a "court record" consists of, among other things, administrative records filed in an action or proceeding, depositions, paper exhibits, transcripts, and recordings of electronically recorded proceedings, as specified. This bill would delete paper exhibits from the definition of "court record" for these purposes. Existing law authorizes the clerk of the court to distribute or dispose of exhibits that have been introduced or filed in any criminal action or proceeding after the final determination of the action or proceeding, as specified. In cases where the death penalty is imposed, existing law prohibits a court from ordering the destruction of an exhibit until 30 days after the date of execution of sentence. This bill would permit a court to order the destruction of exhibits, in cases where the death penalty is imposed, 30 days after the execution of sentence or, when the defendant dies while awaiting execution, one year after the date of the defendant's death.