HB 5860

Abstract

Amends the Criminal Victims' Asset Discovery Act. Changes the short title of the Act to the Criminal Victims' Asset Discovery and Escrow Account Act. Provides that the Act applies to persons convicted of violent crimes (rather than first degree murder, a Class X felony, or aggravated kidnapping). Provides that a person contracting with any person or the representative or assignee of any person convicted of a violent crime in this State, with respect to the reenactment of the violent crime, by way of a movie, book, magazine article, tape recording, phonograph record, radio or television presentation, or live entertainment, or from the expression of the convicted person's thoughts, feelings, opinions, or emotions regarding the crime if the expression represents the primary contents of a movie, book, magazine article, tape recording, phonograph record, radio or television presentation, or live entertainment, shall submit a copy of the contract to the Attorney General and pay over to the Attorney General any moneys that would otherwise, by terms of the contract, be owing to the person convicted or the person's representatives. Provides that the Attorney General shall deposit the moneys in an escrow account for the benefit of and payable to any victim or the legal representative of any victim of violent crimes committed by the convicted person, if the victim, or the legal representative of the victim, within 5 years from the establishment of the escrow account, brings a civil action and recovers a money judgment for damages against the person or the person's representatives. Amends the Violent Crime Victims Assistance Act and the Code of Civil Procedure to make conforming changes.