Louisiana Revised Statutes 15:539.3 – A. A person convicted of an offense enumerated in R.S. 15:539.1(A) shall be ordered to pay mandatory restitution to the victim, with the proceeds from property forfeited under R.S. 1
Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 15:539.3
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- person: includes a body of persons, whether incorporated or not. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 1:10
- Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
A. A person convicted of an offense enumerated in La. Rev. Stat. 15:539.1(A) shall be ordered to pay mandatory restitution to the victim, with the proceeds from property forfeited under La. Rev. Stat. 15:539.1 applied first to payment of restitution, after the costs of the public sale or auction, court costs, and fees related to seizure and storage have been satisfied. Restitution under this Section shall include any of the following:
(1) Costs of medical and psychological treatment.
(2) Costs of necessary transportation and temporary housing.
(3) The greater of the value of the victim’s labor as guaranteed under the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act or the gross income or value to the defendant of the victim’s labor or services engaged in by the victim while in the human trafficking situation. In the case of sex trafficking, the victim shall be entitled to restitution for the income he would have earned, had he not been victimized, as guaranteed under the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
(4) Return of property, cost of damage to property, or full value of property if destroyed or damaged beyond repair.
(5) Expenses incurred by the victim and any household members or other family members in relocating away from the defendant or the defendant’s associates, including but not limited to deposits for utilities and telephone service, deposits for rental housing, temporary lodging and food expenses, clothing, and personal items. Expenses incurred pursuant to this Section shall be verified by law enforcement to be necessary for the personal safety of the victim or household or family members, or by a mental health treatment provider to be necessary for the emotional well-being of the victim.
B. For purposes of this Section, the return of the victim to the victim’s home country or other absence of the victim from the jurisdiction shall not prevent the victim from receiving restitution.
Acts 2013, No. 429, §1, eff. June 24, 2013; Acts 2014, No. 564, §2; Acts 2020, No. 352, §1.