LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky's House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday sparked by the Crystal Rogers case.
House Bill 305, called the Crystal Rogers Act, was filed in response to the Rogers case after Brooks Houck and his family secretly recorded a grand jury. But because the statute of limitations had run out, no one was charged.
The goal of the legislation is to crack down on illegal recordings of grand jury testimony by extending the statute of limitations.
HB 305 is being championed by Rogers' mother, Sherry Ballard, who reached out to Rep. Candy Massaroni, R-Bardstown, hoping to change state law after the Houcks weren't charged.
If passed, the Crystal Rogers Act would extend the statute of limitations from one year to 10 years. It would also extend the statute of limitations for unlawfully sharing grand jury testimony from one year to five.
In the Rogers murder investigation, the recordings weren't found until years later during an FBI search. They were found by investigators in pants pockets and a bag full of bingo stamps. But the Houck family was not charged the statute of limitations had already passed.
"I cannot express the devastation my family felt knowing that this whole family had recorded their testimonies, and there was nothing we could do about it," Ballard told lawmakers during a Feb. 4 committee meeting. "I know this will not help my family, but hopefully it will help another family and they will not feel the pain that my family has had to go through."
The bill is intended to "deter improper disclosures that can jeopardize investigations, erode judicial confidence and retraumatize families."
The Kentucky Commonwealth's Attorneys Association is in favor of the bill, and highlighted how dangerous it is for secret grand jury proceedings to be recorded and leaked.
Jackie Steele, Commonwealth's Attorney for the 27th Judicial Circuit, said illegally recording grand jury proceedings "can affect drug investigations and even lead to the sale of sensitive testimony on the black market."
Steele said secrecy "is essential to prevent witnesses from tailoring their testimony" to "cover for somebody."
The bill passed the House Judiciary Committee last week. Now that it has passed the full House, it heads to the Senate for a vote. If it passes the Senate, it will be sent to Gov. Andy Beshear's desk.
To learn more about SB 305, click here.
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