silent witness; records; nondisclosure; exceptions.

HB 2711 protects the confidentiality of records from Arizona's Silent Witness, Crime Stopper, and similar crime tip programs. It prohibits these records from being public or disclosed, except in two specific court situations: (1) if a criminal defendant shows the records contain material evidence about their guilt or punishment, or (2) if a plaintiff (who was wrongly convicted or charged based on such records) proves the records relate to injury from a wrongful act. Courts may review the records privately before deciding disclosure, and any non-disclosed records must be returned to law enforcement after appeals end. This bill directly affects anonymous crime tip reporters, law enforcement agencies managing these programs, and courts handling cases involving such records.