Crime Victim's Guide to Justice, 2E (current for any state) (Legal Survival Guides)

208 Pages·2001·2.14 MB·English

by  Mary L Boland

Legal Reference L S G ®
E G A L U R V I V A L U I D E S
H Y B V C ?
AVE OU EEN A ICTIM OF RIME
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RITTEN BY A AWYER
D ’ B V L S !
ON T ECOME A ICTIM OF THE EGAL YSTEM
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A S E
IMPLE NGLISH
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II M XPLANATION OF THE AW
f you have been the victim of crime, your involvement with the justice system is E
just beginning.As a crime victim, you have certain rights and obligations within V C
the criminal justice system—and opportunities to seek justice outside of the I RIME
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criminal process, through litigation in civil court. T
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This book provides websites and email addresses, and explains the legal system, and your
’
rights or duties regarding such matters as: S Includes:
➢ Reporting a crime ➢ Testifying at trial G ♦Privacy
➢ Seeking medical and emotional help ➢ Testifying at sentencing U V ’ rights
➢ Protecting your privacy rights ➢ Filing and pursuing a civil lawsuit against ID explanations
ICTIM S
➢ Knowing police investigation procedures E
the criminal
♦
Crime
➢ Arresting the perpetrator ➢ Obtaining crime victim’s compensation to
➢ Filing criminal charges reporting
➢ Getting information from the court and J
➢ Crime mapping U directions
court personnel
➢ Protecting yourself and your family from ➢ Understanding online crimes ST ♦Case filing
harassment I
C
G information
➢ Proceeding before trial E
♦
Testimony
UIDE
tips
Mary L.Boland received her law degree from John Marshall Law School.She is a full-time ♦
Details for
prosecutor and an adjunct faculty member of Roosevelt University in Chicago,Illinois.A
suing a
long-time victim’s advocate,she has worked to pass legislation protecting victim’s rights,
has served as a consultant to various federal agencies and is currently the chair of the criminal
Victim's Committee of the Criminal Justice Section of the American Bar Association and
♦
to Information
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co-chair of the Victims Issues Committee of the Prosecutor’s Bar Association of Illinois.
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Legal Survival Guides – Your #1 Source for Real World Legal Information N help
™ D USTICE
Legal Reference $21.95 U.S.
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SPHINX® PUBLISHING ’S G Mary L. Boland
ANIMPRINTOFSOURCEBOOKS, INC.® UID 2ND EDITION Attorney at Law
NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS E2
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Second Edition
Mary L. Boland
Attorney at Law
SPHINX® PUBLISHING
ANIMPRINTOF SOURCEBOOKS, INC.®
NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS
Copyright © 1997, 2001 by Mary L. Boland
Cover design © 1997 by Sourcebooks,Inc.
All rights reserved.No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means
including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical arti-
cles or reviews,or in the case of the exercises in this book solely for the personal use of the purchaser—without per-
mission in writing from its publisher,Sourcebooks,Inc.
Second Edition, 2001
Published by:Sphinx®Publishing,An Imprint of Sourcebooks,Inc.®
Naperville Office
P.O.Box 4410
Naperville,Illinois 60567-4410
630-961-3900
Fax:[phone]
http://www.sourcebooks.com
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter cov-
ered.It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal,accounting,or other
professional service.If legal advice or other expert assistance is required,the services of a competent professional
person should be sought.
From a Declaration of Principles Jointly Adopted by a Committee of the
American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations
This product is not a substitute for legal advice.
Disclaimer required by Texas statutes.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Boland,Mary L.
Crime victim’s guide to justice / Mary L.Boland.-- 2nd ed.
p.cm.-- (Legal survival guides)
Includes index.
ISBN 1-57248-163-3
1. Victims of crimes--Legal status,laws,etc.--United States--Popular works. 2.
Criminal procedure--United States--Popular works. I.Title. II.Series.
KF9763.Z9 B65 2001
344.73'03288--dc21
2001041177
Printed and bound in the United States of America.
VHG Paperback — 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
C
O N T E N T S
USING SELF-HELP LAW BOOKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
CHAPTER 1 THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
The Law
The System
Types of Crimes
Elements of Crimes
The Offender
The State’s Case
The Defense Case
Surviving the System
CHAPTER 2 GETTING HELP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Victim-Assistance Programs
Hotline Services
Crisis Counseling
The Crime Victim Advocate
Finding a Program
CHAPTER 3 THE VICTIM IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Family Members and Loved Ones
Witnesses
The Growth of Victims’ Rights
Constitutional Rights of Victims
Victim “Bill of Rights” Laws
The Right to Restitution
crime victim’s guide to justice
The Right to Compensation
The Right to Civil Justice
Case Management
CHAPTER 4 YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Protecting the Victim’s Privacy
Your Rights and the Media
CHAPTER 5 REPORTING THE CRIME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Contacting the Police
The Role of Hospitals and Medical Personnel
CHAPTER 6 THE POLICE INVESTIGATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
The Victim Interview
The Crime Scene
The Detective’s Role
The Rights of the Victim
CHAPTER 7 ARRESTING THE OFFENDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Identifying the Offender
Lineup Procedures
Unknown Offenders
Making the Arrest
What if Police Do Not Make an Arrest?
CHAPTER 8 FILING THE CHARGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Making the Decision to File
Screening the Case
Methods of Charging
The Grand Jury
Time Limits
The Charges in Your Case
CHAPTER 9 PRETRIAL PROCEDURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
The Role of the Judge
The Victim’s Rights
The Right to a Speedy Trial
Arraignment — Defendant’s Initial Appearance
Bail
Preliminary Hearing
Pre-Trial Motions
vi
c o n t e n t s
CHAPTER 10 PLEA BARGAINING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Types of Plea Bargains
Procedures
The Victim’s Role
CHAPTER 11 THE CRIMINAL TRIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Defendant’s Right to a Jury
Opening Statement
Evidence and Testimony
The State’s Case
The Victim as a Witness
The Defense Case
Closing Statement
CHAPTER 12 THE VERDICT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
The Role of the Jury
The Bench Trial
Verdict on Less Than All Charges
CHAPTER 13 THE SENTENCE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Sentencing Dispositions
The Sentencing Hearing
The Victim Impact Statement
What the Sentence Really Means
Violations of Sentencing Orders
CHAPTER 14 APPEAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Who Appeals
The Offender During an Appeal
What an Appeals Court Can Do
The Victim’s Rights
CHAPTER 15 AFTER THE CRIMINAL TRIAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
When It Is Over
Release or Escape of the Offender
CHAPTER 16 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND CRIME VICTIMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Victim Participation
Automated Victim Information and Notification
Crime Mapping
Sex Offenders and Sexual Predators
Cybercrime
vii
crime victim’s guide to justice
CHAPTER 17 RECOVERING DAMAGES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Criminal versus Civil Court
Other Options for Recovery of Damages
CHAPTER 18 THE WHAT AND WHO OF A CIVIL LAWSUIT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
The Civil Suit
The Parties to the Suit
Defendant’s Suit Against the Victim
The Burden of Proof
Theories—Torts
Theories—Crimes
Theories—Third Parties
Proving the Elements of an Intentional Tort
Causation
Common Defenses
Damages
The Effect of the Criminal Case on the Civil Suit
The Effect of a Civil Suit on the Victim
CHAPTER 19 THE HOW AND WHEN OF A CIVIL LAWSUIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Evaluating and Preparing the Case
The Time and Place to File
Enforcing the Judgment
CHAPTER 20 THE ROLE OF LAWYERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Lawyers and Confidentiality
Finding a Lawyer
Fee Agreements
Working with the Lawyer
GLOSSARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
APPENDIX A VICTIM’S RESOURCES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
APPENDIX B LEGAL RESEARCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
APPENDIX C STATE-BY-STATE LAWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
APPENDIX D SAMPLE FORMS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
viii
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Many people contributed over several years to the information which
eventually made its way into this book. I most want to thank Katherine
A. Newell,an excellent paralegal and researcher, for her time and invalu-
able assistance in gathering, typing, and editing the compilation of statu-
tory materials cited in the first edition of this book.
ix