Vermont § 5585 - Electronic recording of a custodial interrogation

§ 5585. Electronic recording of a custodial interrogation

• (a) As used in this section: (1) “Custodial interrogation” means any interrogation: (A) involving questioning by a law enforcement officer that is reasonably likely to elicit
  an incriminating response from the subject; and (B) in which a reasonable person in the subject’s position would consider the person to
  be in custody, starting from the moment a person should have been advised of the person’s
  Miranda rights and ending when the questioning has concluded. (2) “Electronic recording” or “electronically recorded” means an audio and visual recording
  that is an authentic, accurate, unaltered record of a custodial interrogation, or
  if law enforcement does not have the current capacity to create a visual recording,
  an audio recording of the interrogation. (3) “Place of detention” means a building or a police station that is a place of operation
  for the State police, a municipal police department, county sheriff department, or
  other law enforcement agency that is owned or operated by a law enforcement agency
  at which persons are or may be questioned in connection with criminal offenses or
  detained temporarily in connection with criminal charges pending a potential arrest
  or citation. (4) “Statement” means an oral, written, sign language, or nonverbal communication. (b)(1) A custodial interrogation that occurs in a place of detention concerning the investigation
  of a felony or misdemeanor violation of this title shall be electronically recorded
  in its entirety. Unless impracticable, a custodial interrogation occurring outside
  a place of detention concerning the investigation of a felony or misdemeanor violation
  of this title shall be electronically recorded in its entirety. (2) In consideration of best practices, law enforcement shall strive to record simultaneously
  both the interrogator and the person being interrogated. (c)(1) The following are exceptions to the recording requirement in subsection (b) of this
  section: (A) exigent circumstances; (B) a person’s refusal to be electronically recorded; (C) interrogations conducted by other jurisdictions; (D) a reasonable belief that the person being interrogated did not commit a felony or
  misdemeanor violation of this title and, therefore, an electronic recording of the
  interrogation was not required; (E) the safety of a person or protection of the person’s identity; and (F) equipment malfunction. (2) If law enforcement does not make an electronic recording of a custodial interrogation
  as required by this section, the prosecution shall prove by a preponderance of the
  evidence that one of the exceptions identified in subdivision (1) of this subsection
  applies. If the prosecution does not meet the burden of proof, the evidence is still
  admissible, but the court shall provide cautionary instructions to the jury regarding
  the failure to record the interrogation. (Added 2013, No. 193 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. Oct. 1, 2015; amended 2021, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. July 1, 2022.)