Introduced By: Senators Coderre, Goodwin, Fogarty, Paiva Weed and Irons
Date Introduced : January 27, 1998
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 12-28 of the General Laws entitled "Victim's Rights" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
{ADD 12-28-12. Notification to immediate family members of homicide victims. -- ADD} {ADD (a) For purposes of this section, "immediate family members" means a spouse and any dependent children of the victim as well as a person who is related to the victim whether by blood, adoption or marriage, as any of the following: father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother, grandson, granddaughter, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, halfbrother, halfsister, stepgrandmother or stepgrandfather. ADD}
{ADD (b) In addition to any other rights given to victims of crimes under this title, the immediate family members of the victim of any homicide shall be afforded reasonable written or oral notification from the office of the attorney general of the pendency of a bail hearing, pretrial, trial or disposition relating to a party accused of the homicide and said notice shall be provided at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the hearing, pretrial, trial or disposition. The notification provided by this section shall be required only as to those immediate family members who have filed a request with a court which has asserted jurisdiction over the accused/defendant. The attorney general shall promulgate forms to effect such request. ADD}
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
