Criminal Justice

This bill requires criminal defendants to seek court approval before obtaining subpoenas for evidence, rather than issuing them directly. To get approval, defendants must prove the evidence is necessary, directly related to proving innocence (not just damaging to the prosecution), and doesn't include private information of crime victims or others. The bill mandates that any evidence obtained via approved subpoena must be shared with prosecutors within five business days, and requires courts to appoint attorneys for indigent third parties served with subpoenas. Violations result in evidence being inadmissible in court and potential sanctions against attorneys. It also prevents defendants from later claiming ineffective counsel based on evidence obtained through this process.