New York S 9632: Limits the admissibility of evidence of a defendant's creative or artistic expression against such defendant in a criminal proceeding

Bill Text

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S09632 Summary:

BILL NOS09632 

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SAME ASSAME AS A00123

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SPONSORBAILEY

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Add §60.77, amd §1.20, CP L

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Establishes an assumption of the inadmissibility of evidence of a defendant's creative or artistic expression against such defendant in a criminal proceeding; requires the proffering party to affirmatively prove that the evidence is admissible by clear and convincing evidence.

Go to top S09632 Actions:

BILL NOS09632 

&nbsp

03/31/2026REFERRED TO CODES

04/21/20261ST REPORT CAL.803

04/22/20262ND REPORT CAL.

04/27/2026ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 

05/18/2026PASSED SENATE

05/18/2026DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

05/18/2026referred to codes

Go to topS09632 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS09632 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS09632 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 9632

 IN SENATE

 March 31, 2026
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. BAILEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes

 AN ACT to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to rules of
 evidence concerning the admissibility of evidence of a defendant's
 creative expression

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. The criminal procedure law is amended by adding a new
 2 section 60.77 to read as follows:
 3 § 60.77 Rules of evidence; admissibility of evidence of defendant's
 4 creative expression.
 5 1. Evidence of a defendant's creative or artistic expression, whether
 6 original or derivative, may not be received into evidence against such
 7 defendant in a criminal proceeding unless such evidence is determined by
 8 the court to be relevant and admissible, after an offer of proof by the
 9 proponent of such evidence outside the hearing of the jury, or such
 10 hearing as the court may require, and an on-the-record statement by the
 11 court of the findings of fact essential to its determination.
 12 2. In order to overcome the presumption of inadmissibility of evidence
 13 of defendant's creative expression, the proffering party must affirma-
 14 tively prove by clear and convincing evidence:
 15 (a) literal, rather than figurative or fictional, meaning and, where
 16 the work is derivative, that the defendant intended to adopt the literal
 17 meaning of the work as the defendant's own thought or statement;
 18 (b) a strong factual nexus indicating that the creative expression
 19 refers to the specific facts of the crime alleged;
 20 (c) relevance to an issue of fact that is disputed; and
 21 (d) distinct probative value not provided by other admissible
 22 evidence.
 23 3. Where the court admits creative expression as criminal evidence,
 24 the court has a duty to apply careful redactions, provide limiting
 25 instructions, and consider the least prejudicial means of presenting the
 26 creative expression to the fact-finder.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD00146-01-5

 S. 9632 2

 1 § 2. Section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law is amended by adding a
 2 new subdivision 46 to read as follows:
 3 46. "Creative expression" means the expression or application of
 4 creativity or imagination in the production or arrangement of forms,
 5 sounds, words, movements or symbols, including but not limited to music,
 6 dance, performance art, visual art, poetry, literature, film and other
 7 such objects or media.
 8 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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