Honorarios de testigos expertos y declaraciones de impacto de las víctimas

Explicación Simple

Esta ley asegura que las víctimas de crímenes reciban ayuda para cubrir gastos y que sus declaraciones se manejen con cuidado. Además, protege la información de las víctimas para que no sea compartida sin permiso.

Es como cuando organizas una fiesta y quieres que todos los invitados tengan su comida y bebida, pero también cuidas que la lista de invitados no se filtre a otras personas.

Ejemplo Práctico

Imagina que Ana fue víctima de un robo. Gracias a esta ley, el tribunal le permite recuperar los gastos que tuvo por asistir al juicio. Además, su declaración sobre cómo el robo la afectó se mantiene en secreto hasta que se termine el juicio del ladrón.

Texto Original del Estatuto (Inglés)

SECTION 16-3-1555. Expert witness fees; distribution, maintenance and use of victim's impact statements. (A) The circuit or family court must order, in a timely manner, reasonable expert witness fees and reimbursement to victims of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses associated with lawfully serving a subpoena. (B) In cases in which the sentence is more than ninety days, the prosecuting agency must forward, as appropriate and within fifteen days, a copy of each victim's impact statement or the name, mailing address, and telephone number of each victim, or both, to the Department of Corrections, the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services, or the Board of Juvenile Parole, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and a diversion program. The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of victims and prosecution witnesses contained in the records of the Department of Corrections, the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services, the Board of Juvenile Parole, and the Department of Juvenile Justice are confidential and must not be disclosed directly or indirectly, except by order of a court of competent jurisdiction or as necessary to provide notifications, or services, or both, between these agencies, these agencies and the prosecuting agency, or these agencies and the Attorney General. (C) The prosecuting agency must maintain the victim's original impact statement. The victim's impact statement must not be provided to the defendant until the defendant has been adjudicated, found guilty, or has pled guilty. The victim's impact statement and its contents are not admissible as evidence in any trial. (D) The prosecuting agency must inform the victim and the prosecution witnesses of their responsibility to provide the prosecuting agency, the Department of Corrections, t