Crime victims receive notices and can speak through chosen representatives

Victims receive timely notice and a chance to speak about requests for their protected records. Covered records include medical records, counseling records, and protected information from electronic devices. The request must seek records from someone other than the victim and involve confidentiality, privacy, or another legal protection for the victim. Victims must have a chance to speak at any related criminal court hearing or proceeding; this does not guarantee that a hearing will occur. Notice covers the records request and the date and time of any related criminal court hearing or proceeding.

Victims may choose a lawyer or a victim witness advocate or coordinator to speak for them. This choice applies at criminal court proceedings where the victim has a right to be heard. Choosing a representative cannot change how the victim is treated, except as needed to follow the professional rule about communicating with people who have lawyers.

Victims receive information about the outcome of charges, accumulated reductions in time to serve, and appeals. Appeal information covers appeals brought by the defendant or the State involving a crime against the victim. The prosecutor must obtain information about these reductions from each correctional facility that held the defendant before sentencing on the relevant charges. The prosecutor must obtain information about the reductions on or before sentencing. Appeal updates cover filing, scheduling, and the outcome.

Victims have a right to comment on proposals to end or change certain forms of court supervision. The right covers ending probation or administrative release early, or moving a defendant from probation to administrative release, another form of court supervision. This right follows the rules in section 2105, which is not included here.