(725 ILCS 120/4) (from Ch. 38, par. 1404)
Sec. 4. Rights of crime victims.
(a) Crime victims shall have the following rights:
(1) The right to be treated with fairness and respect
for their dignity and privacy throughout the criminal justice process.
(2) The right to notification of court proceedings.
(3) The right to communicate with the prosecution.
(4) The right to make a statement to the court at
sentencing.
(5) The right to information about the conviction,
sentence, imprisonment and release of the accused.
(6) The right to the timely disposition of the case
following the arrest of the accused.
(7) The right to be reasonably protected from the
accused through the criminal justice process.
(8) The right to be present at the trial and all
other court proceedings on the same basis as the accused, unless the victim is to testify and the court determines that the victim's testimony would be materially affected if the victim hears other testimony at the trial.
(9) the right to have present at all court
proceedings, including proceedings under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, subject to the admonition of the rules of confidentiality and subject to the rules of evidence, a victim-witness specialist, an advocate or other support person of the victim's choice.
(10) The right to restitution.
(b) Any law enforcement agency that investigates an offense committed in this State shall provide a crime victim with a written statement and explanation of the rights of crime victims within 48 hours of law enforcement's initial contact with a victim. The statement shall include information about crime victim compensation, including how to contact the Office of the Illinois Attorney General to file a claim, and appropriate referrals to local and State programs that provide victim services. The content of the statement shall be provided to law enforcement by the Attorney General. Law enforcement shall also provide a crime victim with a sign-off sheet that the victim shall sign and date as an acknowledgement that he or she has been furnished with information and an explanation of the rights of crime victims and compensation set forth in this Act.
(c) The Clerk of the Circuit Court shall post the rights of crime victims set forth in Article I, Section 8.1(a) of the Illinois Constitution and subsection (a) of this Section within 3 feet of the door to any courtroom where criminal proceedings are conducted. The clerk may also post the rights in other locations in the courthouse.
(d) A statement and explanation of the rights of crime victims set forth in paragraph (a) of this Section shall be given to a crime victim at the initial contact with the criminal justice system by the appropriate authorities and shall be conspicuously posted in all court facilities.
(Source: P.A. 97-815, eff. 1-1-13.)
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Last modified: February 18, 2015