Understanding Victims' Rights in Criminal Proceedings

Victims have rights in criminal cases in every state, as well as in federal, military, and tribal courts. A failure to accord victims their rights can derail the investigation or prosecution of a case, and deny victims the voice that legislatures have mandated they have. This session, taught by the Justice Department's former victim rights advisor, Katharine Manning, discusses what rights victims have, how these rights are enforced, and to whom they apply, as well as pitfalls to avoid and springboards to use when working with victims in various legal contexts. 

This session will benefit prosecutors and defense attorneys, and attorneys representing crime victims.

Learning objectives:

1. Define who is a "victim" under Victims' Rights Statutes
2. Identify the common rights victims have in different jurisdictions, including the right to be heard, the right to attend proceedings, and the right to restitution
3. Discuss best practices according to rights to victims
4. Explore the ways that victims' rights are enforced