Vermont Statutes Title 13 Sec. 5314
Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 13 Sec. 5314
- Arraignment: A proceeding in which an individual who is accused of committing a crime is brought into court, told of the charges, and asked to plead guilty or not guilty.
- Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
- following: when used by way of reference to a section of the law shall mean the next preceding or following section. See
- Listed crime: means any of the following offenses:
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- Release: means release from a correctional facility to furlough or to probation or parole supervision, release from a correctional facility upon expiration of sentence or release from a correctional facility on bail after the defendant's initial appearance. See
- Victim: means a person who sustains physical, emotional, or financial injury or death as a direct result of the commission or attempted commission of a crime or act of delinquency and shall also include the family members of a minor, a person who has been found to be incompetent, or a homicide victim. See
§ 5314. Information from law enforcement agency
(a) Information to all victims. After initial contact between a victim and a law enforcement agency responsible for investigating a crime, the agency shall promptly give in writing to the victim:
(1) an explanation of the victim’s rights under this chapter and chapter 167 of this title;
(2) information concerning the availability of:
(A) assistance to victims, including medical, housing, counseling, and emergency services;
(B) compensation for victims under chapter 167 of this title, and the name, street address, and telephone number of the Center for Crime Victim Services;
(C) protection for the victim, including protective court orders; and
(D) access by the victim and the defendant to records related to the case which are public under the provisions of 1 Vt. Stat. Ann. chapter 5, subchapter 3 (access to public records).
(b) Information to victims of listed crimes. As soon as practicable, the law enforcement agency shall use reasonable efforts to give to the victim of a listed crime, as relevant, all of the following:
(1) Information as to the accused’s identity unless inconsistent with law enforcement purposes.
(2) Information as to whether the accused has been taken into custody.
(3) The file number of the case and the name, office street address, and telephone number of the law enforcement officer currently assigned to investigate the case.
(4) The prosecutor’s name, office street address, and telephone number.
(5) An explanation that no individual is under an obligation to respond to questions that may be asked outside a courtroom or deposition.
(6) Information concerning any bail or conditions of release imposed on the defendant by a judicial officer prior to arraignment or an initial court appearance. (Added 1995, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 10, eff. Sept. 1, 1996; amended 2015, No. 97 (Adj. Sess.), § 76; 2015, No. 155 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.)