As a victim of a violent crime, as the guardian of a victim, or as the close
relative of a deceased victim, you have certain rights in the Texas criminal
justice system. Among these are:
- The right to PROTECTION from harm and threats of harm arising from
cooperation with prosecution efforts;
- The right to have your SAFETY, and that of your family, taken into
consideration when bail is being considered;
- The right to be INFORMED about court proceedings, including cancellations
or rescheduling upon request;
- The right to INFORMATION about procedures in criminal investigations and
in the criminal justice system;
- The right to receive INFORMATION about the Texas Crime Victims
Compensation Fund and referral to available social service agencies;
- The right to provide INFORMATION to a probation department conducting a
pre-sentence investigation about the impact of the offense upon you and your
family;
- The right to have the law enforcement agency that requests a medical
examination of a victim of an alleged sexual assault PAY all costs of the
examination only;
- The right to be NOTIFIED about parole proceedings, to participate in the
parole process, and to be notified of the inmate's release;
- The right to be PRESENT at all public court proceedings related to the
offense, if the presiding judge approves;
- The right to a SAFE waiting area before and during court proceedings;
- The right to prompt RETURN of any property that is no longer needed as
evidence;
- The right to have the prosecutor NOTIFY your employer that the need for
your testimony may involve your absence from work;
- The right to COMPLETE a Victim Impact Statement, detailing the impact of
the offense upon you and your family, and to have that statement considered
during sentencing and any parole action;
- The right to COUNSELING, on request, regarding AIDS and HIV infection and
testing for AIDS and HIV related infections, if the offense is a sexual
offense or sexual assault.
NOTE: Article 56 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure states: "A judge,
attorney for the state, peace officer, or law enforcement agency is not liable
for a failure or inability to provide a right enumerated in this
article."