By Guy Page
A bill to prevent arrests of illegal immigrants in a courthouse is scheduled for discussion by the full Senate this afternoon.
S140, sponsored by Sen. Phil Baruth (D-Chittenden), would exempt the ‘civil arrest’ of anyone attending a court hearing on behalf of a family or household member required to be at the court hearing as a party, lawyer, or juror.
S140 defines a “civil arrest” as an arrest for purposes of obtaining a person’s presence at a civil court proceeding, “including an immigration proceeding.”
Violation of S140, if passed into law, would make the perpetrator liable for a civil charge of false imprisonment.
The bill was passed unanimously out of Senate Judiciary.