Sec. 5. (a) As a part of the recommendation submitted to the court, the prosecuting attorney must certify that he has offered to show the proposed recommendation to the victims of the felony, if any, and that they have been offered an opportunity to present their opinion of the recommendation to the prosecuting attorney and the court.

     (b) A victim present at sentencing in a felony or misdemeanor case shall be advised by the court of a victim’s right to make a statement concerning the crime and the sentence. The court shall also offer the victim, if present, an opportunity to make a statement concerning the crime and the sentence. If unable to attend the hearing, the victim may mail a written statement to the court, which must be included in the presentence report made with respect to the defendant.

Terms Used In Indiana Code 35-35-3-5

  • Attorney: includes a counselor or other person authorized to appear and represent a party in an action or special proceeding. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Presentence report: A report prepared by a court's probation officer, after a person has been convicted of an offense, summarizing for the court the background information needed to determine the appropriate sentence. Source: U.S. Courts
     (c) However, this section gives no additional rights to the defendant. Failure to comply gives no grounds for postconviction relief.

As added by Acts 1981, P.L.298, SEC.4. Amended by P.L.126-1985, SEC.3.