Sec. 54-220. Victim advocates. Responsibilities and duties.
Sec. 54-220. Victim advocates. Responsibilities and duties. (a) Victim advocates shall have the following responsibilities and duties: (1) To provide initial screening
of each personal injury case; (2) to assist victims in the preparation of victim impact
statements to be placed in court files; (3) to notify victims of their rights and request
that each victim so notified attest to the fact of such notification of rights on a form
developed by the Office of the Chief Court Administrator, which form shall be signed
by the victim advocate and the victim and be placed in court files and a copy of which
form shall be provided to the victim; (4) to provide information and advice to victims
in order to assist such victims in exercising their rights throughout the criminal justice
process; (5) to direct victims to public and private agencies for service; (6) to coordinate
victim applications to the Office of Victim Services; and (7) to assist victims in the
processing of claims for restitution.
(b) Within available appropriations, the Office of Victim Services may contract
with any public or private agency for victim advocate services in geographical area
courts.
(P.A. 85-609, S. 2; P.A. 87-554, S. 1; P.A. 93-310, S. 17, 32; P.A. 95-175, S. 10; P.A. 03-179, S. 3; P.A. 05-152, S. 11.)
History: (Revisor's note: In 1991 the term "commission on victim services" was substituted editorially for "criminal
injuries compensation board" pursuant to public act 87-554); P.A. 93-310 amended Subdiv. (3) by deleting "prosecutors
by gathering victim or witness" and inserting "victims by providing", amended Subdiv. (4) by deleting requirement of
counsel, and amended Subdiv. (6) by changing "commission" to "office of victim services", effective July 1, 1993; P.A.
95-175 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (7) re assistance of victims in processing claims for restitution and added
Subsec. (b) re contracting with public or private agency for victim advocates in geographical area courts; P.A. 03-179
amended Subsec. (a) by replacing "prepare" with "assist victims in the preparation of" in Subdiv. (2), replacing provision
re providing information needed for processing of cases with provisions re notification of rights and attestation on form
in Subdiv. (3), and deleting reference to "individual" and adding provision re assisting victims in exercising their rights
throughout the criminal justice process in Subdiv. (4); P.A. 05-152 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by inserting "so notified".