Within each of these rights, the Victim Law database further sub-categorizes each provision (See Table 1). For example, the right to be informed is further differentiated into the subcategories of of information” (such as in regard to the criminal justice process, the “notice status of the defendant, as well as rights and benefits available to the victim); or obtain “review information” (such as in regard to requesting contact or additional information); and “victim notification systems” (such as referencing the mechanism by which victims receive information). Table 1. Categories and Sub-categories of Three Victims’ Rights Right to Attend Right to be Informed to be Heard Proceedings Notice of information Confer with prosecutor Victim cannot be excluded as Review or obtain information Communicate with court or witness other Presence of support Victim notification systems Communicate with defendant Employment protections (Victim Law database) A number of these subcategories had further subdivisions. For example, within the right to be heard, the subcategory with court of other authority,” included further “communications subdivisions of of crime on victim,” opinion,” or However, the present “impact “victim “other.” study did not differentiate by these additional divisions, but rather, searches were conducted by topic (such as to attend”) and then individual categories within each of these rights (such “right as with court or other authority”). “communications Once the and categories were selected, the next search filter within the database was used to narrow the results by state. This study proceeded through the states in alphabetical order. Following the selection of the individual state, the subsequent search filter differentiated between the types of documents to search. This study searched within state constitutions, statutes, court rules, and administrative rules. The comprehensive search was conducted to obtain additional information regarding variation between policies, but only results from the analysis of
Within each of these rights, the Victim Law database further sub-categorizes each provision (See Table 1). For example, the right to be informed is further differentiated into the subcategories of “notice of information” (such as in regard to the criminal justice process, the status of the defendant, as well as rights and benefits available to the victim); “review or obtain information” (such as in regard to requesting contact or additional information); and “victim notification systems” (such as referencing the mechanism by which victims receive information). Table 1. Categories and Sub-categories of Three Victims’ Rights Right to Attend Right to be Informed to be Heard Proceedings Notice of information Confer with prosecutor Victim cannot be excluded as witness Review or obtain information Communicate with court or other Presence of support Victim notification systems Communicate with defendant Employment protections (Victim Law database) A number of these subcategories had further subdivisions. For example, within the right to be heard, the subcategory “communications with court of other authority,” included further subdivisions of “impact of crime on victim,” “victim opinion,” or “other.” However, the present study did not differentiate by these additional divisions, but rather, searches were conducted by topic (such as “right to attend”) and then individual categories within each of these rights (such as “communications with court or other authority”). Once the and categories were selected, the next search filter within the database was used to narrow the results by state. This study proceeded through the states in alphabetical order. Following the selection of the individual state, the subsequent search filter differentiated between the types of documents to search. This study searched within state constitutions, statutes, court rules, and administrative rules. The comprehensive search was conducted to obtain additional information regarding variation between policies, but only results from the analysis of
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