Law enforcement officials,
Commonwealth Attorneys and County Attorneys have long recognized the need for
laws to protect victims. In 1998, they
worked with the General Assembly in developing the Kentucky's Victims' Bill of
Rights, which was designed to help victims who have suffered direct or
threatened physical, financial or emotional harm from crimes such as stalking,
unlawful imprisonment, use of a minor in a sexual performance, terroristic
threatening, menacing, harassing communications, intimidating a witness,
homicide, robbery, rape, assault, sodomy, kidnapping, burglary, sexual abuse,
wanton endangerment and criminal abuse.
The Victims’ Bill of Rights
enumerates several provisions for the benefit of victims including among
others:
ü Information
on available protective, emergency, social and medical services;
ü Information
about the availability of crime victim compensation when applicable, community
based treatment programs and the judicial process;
ü Notification
of when the accused is arrested;
ü Notification
of important occurrences in their case and prompt updates as to scheduling
changes that affect a victim’s appearance when required to testify as a
witness;
ü Information
on how to register for notifications from the Commonwealth when a person has
been released from a prison, jail, or psychiatric facility;
ü Consultation
by the prosecutor on the disposition of the case, including negotiated plea
agreements;
ü Prompt
return of property held as evidence by the Commonwealth;
ü Assistance
in informing employers when prosecution necessitates the victim’s absence from
work.
County Attorneys and Commonwealth
Attorneys in most counties have employees known as Victims Rights Advocates who
have the primary responsibility to work with and help crime victims in District
and Circuit Court. If you are a victim
of a crime, you can and should work closely with the Victims Rights Advocate to
ensure you get the help you need.
If you have any topics you would
like to have covered in this column, please contact my office by e-mail at
countyattorney@campbellcountyky.org, by phone at 859-491-7700 or by regular
mail addressed to 319 York Street, Newport, Kentucky 41071.
By Steven J. Franzen, Campbell County Attorney
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