98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
SB1528

 

Introduced 2/13/2013, by Sen. Chapin Rose

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
725 ILCS 120/6  from Ch. 38, par. 1406

    Amends the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act. Provides that in any case where a defendant has been convicted of a violent crime or a juvenile has been adjudicated a delinquent for a violent crime, the victim or his or her representative and immediate family or household member upon their request shall (rather than may) be permitted by the court to orally address (rather than address) the court regarding the impact of the defendant's criminal conduct or juvenile delinquent conduct has upon them.


LRB098 07632 RLC 37704 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB1528LRB098 07632 RLC 37704 b

1    AN ACT concerning criminal law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act is
5amended by changing Section 6 as follows:
 
6    (725 ILCS 120/6)  (from Ch. 38, par. 1406)
7    Sec. 6. Rights to present victim impact statement.
8    (a) In any case where a defendant has been convicted of a
9violent crime or a juvenile has been adjudicated a delinquent
10for a violent crime and a victim of the violent crime or the
11victim's spouse, guardian, parent, grandparent, or other
12immediate family or household member is present in the
13courtroom at the time of the sentencing or the disposition
14hearing, the victim or his or her representative shall have the
15right and the victim's spouse, guardian, parent, grandparent,
16and other immediate family or household member upon his, her,
17or their request shall may be permitted by the court to orally
18address the court regarding the impact that the defendant's
19criminal conduct or the juvenile's delinquent conduct has had
20upon them and the victim. The court has discretion to determine
21the number of oral presentations of victim impact statements.
22Any impact statement must have been prepared in writing in
23conjunction with the Office of the State's Attorney prior to

 

 

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1the initial hearing or sentencing, before it can be presented
2orally or in writing at the sentencing hearing. In conjunction
3with the Office of the State's Attorney, a victim impact
4statement that is presented orally may be done so by the victim
5or the victim's spouse, guardian, parent, grandparent, or other
6immediate family or household member or his, her, or their
7representative. At the sentencing hearing, the prosecution may
8introduce that evidence either in its case in chief or in
9rebuttal. The court shall consider any impact statement
10admitted along with all other appropriate factors in
11determining the sentence of the defendant or disposition of
12such juvenile.
13    (a-1) In any case where a defendant has been convicted of a
14violation of any statute, ordinance, or regulation relating to
15the operation or use of motor vehicles, the use of streets and
16highways by pedestrians or the operation of any other wheeled
17or tracked vehicle, except parking violations, if the violation
18resulted in great bodily harm or death, the person who suffered
19great bodily harm, the injured person's representative, or the
20representative of a deceased person shall be entitled to notice
21of the sentencing hearing. "Representative" includes the
22spouse, guardian, grandparent, or other immediate family or
23household member of an injured or deceased person. If the
24injured person, the injured person's representative, or a
25representative of a deceased person is present in the courtroom
26at the time of sentencing, the injured person or his or her

 

 

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1representative and a representative of the deceased person
2shall have the right to address the court regarding the impact
3that the defendant's criminal conduct has had upon them. If
4more than one representative of an injured or deceased person
5is present in the courtroom at the time of sentencing, the
6court has discretion to permit one or more of the
7representatives to present an oral impact statement. Any impact
8statement must have been prepared in writing in conjunction
9with the Office of the State's Attorney prior to the initial
10hearing or sentencing, before it can be presented orally or in
11writing at the sentencing hearing. In conjunction with the
12Office of the State's Attorney, an impact statement that is
13presented orally may be done so by the injured person or the
14representative of an injured or deceased person. At the
15sentencing hearing, the prosecution may introduce that
16evidence either in its case in chief or in rebuttal. The court
17shall consider any impact statement admitted along with all
18other appropriate factors in determining the sentence of the
19defendant.
20    (a-5) In any case where a defendant has been found not
21guilty by reason of insanity of a violent crime and a hearing
22has been ordered by the court under the Mental Health and
23Developmental Disabilities Code to determine if the defendant
24is: (1) in need of mental health services on an inpatient
25basis; (2) in need of mental health services on an outpatient
26basis; or (3) not in need of mental health services and a

 

 

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1victim of the violent crime or the victim's spouse, guardian,
2parent, grandparent, or other immediate family or household
3member is present in the courtroom at the time of the initial
4commitment hearing, the victim or his or her representative
5shall have the right and the victim's spouse, guardian, parent,
6grandparent, and other immediate family or household members
7upon their request may be permitted by the court to address the
8court regarding the impact that the defendant's criminal
9conduct has had upon them and the victim. The court has
10discretion to determine the number of oral presentations of
11victim impact statements. Any impact statement must have been
12prepared in writing in conjunction with the Office of the
13State's Attorney prior to the initial commitment hearing,
14before it may be presented orally or in writing at the
15commitment hearing. In conjunction with the Office of the
16State's Attorney, a victim impact statement that is presented
17orally may be presented so by the victim or the victim's
18spouse, guardian, parent, grandparent, or other immediate
19family or household member or his or her representative. At the
20initial commitment hearing, the State's Attorney may introduce
21the statement either in its case in chief or in rebuttal. The
22court may only consider the impact statement along with all
23other appropriate factors in determining the: (1) threat of
24serious physical harm poised by the respondent to himself or
25herself, or to another person; (2) location of inpatient or
26outpatient mental health services ordered by the court, but

 

 

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1only after complying with all other applicable administrative,
2rule, and statutory requirements; (3) maximum period of
3commitment for inpatient mental health services; and (4)
4conditions of release for outpatient mental health services
5ordered by the court.
6    (b) The crime victim has the right to prepare a victim
7impact statement and present it to the Office of the State's
8Attorney at any time during the proceedings. Any written victim
9impact statement submitted to the Office of the State's
10Attorney shall be considered by the court during its
11consideration of aggravation and mitigation in plea
12proceedings under Supreme Court Rule 402.
13    (c) This Section shall apply to any victims of a violent
14crime during any dispositional hearing under Section 5-705 of
15the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 which takes place pursuant to an
16adjudication or trial or plea of delinquency for any such
17offense.
18(Source: P.A. 96-117, eff. 1-1-10; 97-572, eff. 1-1-12.)