By Madina Toure
The state Senate passed two criminal procedure bills sponsored by state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) last week that address the rights of crime victims.
The first bill requires victims of a crime to be notified by the district attorney of their right to provide an impact statement.
Under current law, notice goes out to victims upon request in felony cases that lead to a felony conviction.
“A victim of a crime undergoes a tremendous amount of stress throughout the entire legal process and, at times, for the rest of their lives — so much so that many may be unaware of their right to provide a victim impact statement,” Stavisky said. “This legislation takes the burden off of the victim by no longer requiring them to request to meet with the parole board or share their feelings on the matter with the Department of Corrections.”
The second bill gives a crime victim access to information about the status of a case in which he or she was involved. Victims are also given the right to participate in the judicial proceedings of a juvenile offender.
State Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz (D-Flushing) is sponsoring the bills in the Assembly. They are in committee and on the floor calendar.
Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtour
