Crime Victim's Guide to Justice (eBook)

Mary L Boland (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2008 | 1. Auflage
192 Seiten
Sourcebooks (Verlag)
978-1-4022-3319-7 (ISBN)

Infos

DON'T BECOME A VICTIM of the Legal SystemIf you have been the victim of a crime, your involvement with the justice system is just beginning. As a crime victim, you have certain rights and obligations within the criminal justice system as well as the opportunity to seek your own justice and receive compensation for your injuries through civil court proceedings. Crime Victim's Guide to Justice explains everything you need to know to get justice.LEARN HOW TO:- Report a crime and get the police to investigate your case- Seek medical and emotional help for yourself- Effectively testify at trial and sentencing-Pursue a civil case against your assailant to win compensationESSENTIAL INFORMATION ON:- Finding help when you are in an emotional crisis- Obtaining crime victim's compensation- How the court system works and what to expect- Your rights as a victim- And much more ...'The feeling of powerlessness felt by the victim of a senseless crime should be alleviated to some degree by reading [Boland's] explanations and advice.'- Booklist'Crime Victim's Guide to Justice should be on the reference shelf of every community library, social services agency, community services center, legal assistance office, and criminal law library in the country.'- Bookwatch'[This book] will give you the knowledge and power to forge ahead if something happens to you.'- New Woman

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DON'T BECOME A VICTIM of the Legal System If you have been the victim of a crime, your involvement with the justice system is just beginning. As a crime victim, you have certain rights and obligations within the criminal justice system as well as the opportunity to seek your own justice and receive compensation for your injuries through civil court proceedings. Crime Victim's Guide to Justice explains everything you need to know to get justice. LEARN HOW TO: - Report a crime and get the police to investigate your case - Seek medical and emotional help for yourself - Effectively testify at trial and sentencing -Pursue a civil case against your assailant to win compensation ESSENTIAL INFORMATION ON: - Finding help when you are in an emotional crisis - Obtaining crime victim's compensation - How the court system works and what to expect - Your rights as a victim - And much more ... "e;The feeling of powerlessness felt by the victim of a senseless crime should be alleviated to some degree by reading [Boland's] explanations and advice."e; - Booklist "e;Crime Victim's Guide to Justice should be on the reference shelf of every community library, social services agency, community services center, legal assistance office, and criminal law library in the country."e; - Bookwatch "e;[This book] will give you the knowledge and power to forge ahead if something happens to you."e; - New Woman

Textauszug

Excerpt from Chapter 1: The Victim in the Criminal Justice SystemThe Rights of VictimsIn colonial times, when a person committed a crime, it was considered to be an injury to the victim and the victim was entitled to prosecute the case. This system favored wealthy victims, however, because poorer victims did not have the financial resources to seek justice. To make the process fairer, the government took over the responsibility of prosecuting a person accused of committing a crime.Crimes began to be considered public wrongs committed against the community, rather than private wrongs committed only against the individual victim. However, victims began to be considered a piece of evidence in the process, and they lost the ability to have meaningful participation in the process of justice.For example, even though the crime is committed against the victim, the victim is often seen by the criminal justice system as peripheral to the case. The victim is not a party to the case, and cannot force the prosecutor to act on his or her behalf. The law does not permit a victim to privately prosecute a criminal case.For many years, victims did not have any legal rights at all. They were expected to appear and give testimony, often without much preparation by the prosecutor. It may take months, even years, for a case to come to trial, and many victims just dropped out of the criminal court process.In the 1970s, the crime victims' rights movement sought changes in the system to increase the rights of crime victims. President Reagan commissioned a task force on victims that produced a scathing report about the treatment of victims in the system and suggested numerous reforms. Improvements over the last twenty years include:- rape evidence collection kits,- better training of medical personnel,- removal of victims' personal information from the public records,- notification of victims when the perpetrator of a crime is released on bail,- education of victims in court procedures,- safe waiting areas for victims,- limiting continuances,- victims not being required to testify as to their addresses, and,- assigning a single prosecutor for the entirety of the criminal case.Rape Evidence Collection KitsBefore the presidential task force changed medical protocols, rape was not considered an injury by many hospitals. Rape evidence collection kits and the training of hospital staff are modifications that have improved the experiences of the victim. The kits standardized the type and quantity of evidence collected, so that all medical procedures and evidentiary requirements could be completed in most cases at the initial emergency room visit.

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 1.6.2008
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Krimi / Thriller / Horror
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Beruf / Finanzen / Recht / Wirtschaft
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften
• Themenwelt: Recht / Steuern ► Allgemeines / Lexika
• Themenwelt: Recht / Steuern ► EU / Internationales Recht
• Themenwelt: Recht / Steuern ► Privatrecht / Bürgerliches Recht ► Besonderes Schuldrecht
• Themenwelt: Recht / Steuern ► Strafrecht
• ISBN-10: 1-4022-3319-1 / 1402233191
• ISBN-13: 978-1-4022-3319-7 / 9781402233197