Victim's Rights

Victims have the right to be treated with dignity and respect. As a victim of crime or a family member of a victim, you have many rights throughout the criminal justice process, some of which are listed below. These rights must be requested by you before they will be honored.

Victims have the right to:

Be informed of the status of their cases, including investigation, arrest and prosecution of the suspects.
Have a support person in court when they testify.
Reasonable notice of all court proceedings.
Speak to the prosecutor.
Tell the judge about the crime’s impact on them or their families at the time of sentencing.
Have the judge order restitution for all crime related losses when the defendant is convicted.
Be notified of all post-sentencing matters

Including appeal status, parole hearings and/or release dates and to participate in all parole hearings. A victim services representative can assist in requesting these notifications.

Have their names kept confidential if they are victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, stalking or a hate crime.
Receive court orders telling defendants to stop harming or harassing them.
Attend all court proceedings.
Be heard in court if something is happening that is affecting their rights.
The return of their property.
Be notified if the suspect/defendant is released from custody.

Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) provides automatic notification to victims who have registered when a suspect is released from custody. Call 1-877-VINE-4-LA (1-877- 846-3452) to register for notification. Victims must reregister if the defendant is sentenced to state prison.

Skip to content