Young girl during session with her psychotherapist
Being the victim of a crime can change a person’s entire life. At Justice 4 Crime Victims we are dedicated to advocating for victims. Oftentimes, the first step in that process is ensuring that our clients know about the rights they are granted by Marsy’s Law. The full “Victim’s Bill of Rights,” includes dozens of rights but today we want to focus on a few rights we want all crime victims to know they have. If you have questions, contact us at 949-585-9055 for a consultation.
You Have the Right to Have Your Address Kept Confidential
If you have been the victim of child abuse, a sex crime, or spousal abuse, then you have the right to not have your address made public. Your address may have to be given to the attorney for the defendant so that the attorney can serve you with subpoenas and other legal documents, but it will not be put on any form or document.
You Have the Right Not to Be Threatened or Intimidated
If you are threatened, then you should call the police and / or prosecutor as soon as possible. If you do not feel safe contacting either of them, call your attorney. It is against the law for anyone to try to dissuade you or otherwise prevent you rom working with the police and prosecutors, or from giving testimony at trial. It is a felony for a person to try to coerce you, threaten you, or force you not to work with the police.
You Have the Right to Be Present and Sentencing and At Parole Hearings
You have the right to both be at the sentencing hearing and to speak on it if you would like. You have a right to be at any hearing involving the penalty or need for restitution. You have the right to be at sentencing and to express your feelings, though you are not required to share your feelings or be there at all.
The county probation department is required by law to notify you of sentencing for a felony case. They are also required to let you know if said person is up for parole in the future. If you do wish to speak at any of these hearings, you can contact the D.A. directly or let your attorney know you would like to speak and we can take care of the arrangements for you.
You Have the Right to an Attorney
These proceedings can be stressful and confusing. You should not have to deal with it on your own. Instead, contact Justice 4 Crime Victims at 949-585-9055 and let us take over for you. Your job is to heal from your experience and learn how to move on with your life. We can handle the rest.
