PRINTER'S NO.  1216

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

HOUSE BILL

 

No.

1121

Session of

2011

  

  

INTRODUCED BY REICHLEY, BAKER, BOBACK, BOYD, CLYMER, D. COSTA, EVERETT, FLECK, GEIST, GINGRICH, HARHART, HEFFLEY, HORNAMAN, KNOWLES, LONGIETTI, MANN, READSHAW, SABATINA, SWANGER AND VULAKOVICH, MARCH 17, 2011

  

  

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MARCH 17, 2011  

  

  

  

AN ACT

  

1

Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the

2

Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for sentencing

3

for offenses committed in association with a criminal street

4

gang.

5

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

6

hereby enacts as follows:

7

Section 1.  Title 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated

8

Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:

9

§ 9720.3.  Sentencing for offenses committed in association with

10

a criminal street gang.

11

(a)  Sentencing enhancement.--The Pennsylvania Commission on

12

Sentencing shall provide for a sentence enhancement for crimes

13

of violence if the offense was knowingly committed at the

14

direction of or for the purpose of benefiting, promoting or

15

furthering the interests of a criminal street gang.

16

(b)  Proof at sentencing.--The provisions of this section

17

shall not be an element of the crime and notice of the

18

provisions of this section to the defendant shall not be

 


1

required prior to conviction, but reasonable notice of the

2

Commonwealth's intention to proceed under this section shall be

3

provided after conviction and before sentencing.

4

(c)  Applicability.--The applicability of this section shall

5

be determined at sentencing. The court shall consider any

6

evidence presented at trial and shall afford the Commonwealth

7

and the defendant an opportunity to present any necessary

8

additional evidence and shall determine, by a preponderance of

9

the evidence, if this section is applicable.

10

(d)  Definitions.--As used in this section, the following

11

words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this

12

subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

13

"Criminal street gang."  A formal or informal confederation,

14

alliance, network, conspiracy, understanding or similar

15

conjoining of persons who operate individually or collectively

16

as a group or subgroup, with or without an established

17

hierarchy, that, through its membership obtained by pledge,

18

oath, swearing, ritual, distinct membership markings, symbolism,

19

common identifiers or other criteria that law enforcement

20

personnel use to identify the groups or subgroups, engages in

21

criminal activity.

22

"Crimes of violence."  An offense under any of the following:

23

(1)  18 Pa.C.S. § 901 (relating to criminal attempt),

24

involving an attempt to commit murder or any of the offenses

25

under paragraph (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10),

26

(11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16) or (17).

27

(2)  18 Pa.C.S. § 902 (relating to criminal

28

solicitation), involving solicitation to commit murder or any

29

of the offenses under paragraph (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8),

30

(9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16) or (17).

- 2 -

 


1

(3)  18 Pa.C.S. § 903 (relating to criminal conspiracy),

2

involving conspiracy to commit murder or any of the offenses

3

under paragraph (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10),

4

(11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16) or (17).

5

(4)  18 Pa.C.S. § 2502(c) (relating to murder).

6

(5)  18 Pa.C.S. § 2503 (relating to voluntary

7

manslaughter).

8

(6)  18 Pa.C.S. § 2506 (relating to drug delivery

9

resulting in death).

10

(7)  18 Pa.C.S. § 2507(c) or (d) (relating to criminal

11

homicide of law enforcement officer).

12

(8)  18 Pa.C.S. § 2701(a)(3) (relating to simple

13

assault).

14

(9)  18 Pa.C.S. § 2702(a)(1) or (2) (relating to

15

aggravated assault).

16

(10)  18 Pa.C.S. § 2702.1 (relating to assault of law

17

enforcement officer).

18

(11)  18 Pa.C.S. § 2901 (relating to kidnapping).

19

(12)  18 Pa.C.S. § 3121 (relating to rape).

20

(13)  18 Pa.C.S. § 3123 (relating to involuntary deviate

21

sexual intercourse).

22

(14)  18 Pa.C.S. § 3124.1 (relating to sexual assault).

23

(15)  18 Pa.C.S. § 3125 (relating to aggravated indecent

24

assault).

25

(16)  18 Pa.C.S. § 3301(a) (relating to arson and related

26

offenses).

27

(17)  18 Pa.C.S. § 3502 (relating to burglary), if at the

28

time of the offense the structure entered was adapted for

29

overnight accommodation.

30

(18)  18 Pa.C.S. § 3701 (relating to robbery).

- 3 -

 


1

(19)  18 Pa.C.S. § 3702 (relating to robbery of motor

2

vehicle).

3

(20)  A crime equivalent to one listed under paragraph

4

(1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11),

5

(12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (17) or (18) under the laws of

6

this Commonwealth in effect at the time of the commission of

7

the offense.

8

(21)  A crime equivalent to one listed under paragraph

9

(1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11),

10

(12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (17), (18) or (19) under

11

Federal law or in a jurisdiction outside this Commonwealth.

12

Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.

- 4 -