Relating to the use of in-custody informant testimony in a criminal trial.

HB 1418, known as the John Nolley Act, establishes new rules for using testimony from individuals who are confined in the same jail as a defendant (in-custody informants) in serious criminal trials. It directly affects defendants charged with offenses like murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, or burglary, as well as prosecutors and judges. The bill requires prosecutors to notify defendants 21 days before trial if they plan to use such testimony, and mandates a pre-trial hearing outside the jury’s presence where a judge must find by clear and convincing evidence that: (1) any benefit offered to the informant wouldn’t unduly influence their testimony, (2) the informant is reliable, and (3) the testimony’s value outweighs potential prejudice. This aims to prevent unreliable or improperly influenced testimony from being used against defendants.