Rights for Victims of Certain Crimes

     For purposes of the 'Victim Rights Act', the bill prohibits a defendant or alleged offender in the underlying case from being the 'lawful representative' of a victim or the victim's designee if the victim is a child or an at-risk adult.

     The bill creates new rights for a victim under the 'Victim Rights Act', including the right to:

• Be notified by the district attorney if the district attorney receives a notice that a crime laboratory employee engaged in a wrongful action that includes a crime against the victim and a notice that an evidentiary hearing on post-conviction petition for relief is held;
• Be Request to be referred to by an abbreviation, pseudonym, initials, or another preferred name during hearings ; and in communications; and

       

• Request forensic medical evidence collected be retested if a crime laboratory employee engaged in wrongful action; and
• Be heard at a court proceeding involving an application to the court for the issuance of a subpoena for restitution records restitution assessment hearing .

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)


(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)