N.Y. Executive Law § 641: Objectives of fair treatment standards

§ 641. Objectives of fair treatment standards. The object of such fair

treatment standards shall be to:

1. Ensure that crime victims routinely receive emergency social and

medical services as soon as possible and are given information pursuant

to section six hundred twenty-five-a of this chapter on the following:

(a) availability of crime victim compensation;

(b) availability of appropriate public or private programs that

provide counseling, treatment or support for crime victims, including

but not limited to the following: rape crisis centers, victim/witness

assistance programs, elderly victim services, victim assistance hotlines

and domestic violence shelters;

(c) the role of the victims in the criminal justice process, including

what they can expect from the system as well as what the system expects

from them; and

(d) stages in the criminal justice process of significance to a crime

victim, and the manner in which information about such stages can be

obtained.

2. Ensure routine notification of a victim or witness as to steps that

law enforcement officers or district attorneys can take to protect

victims and witnesses from intimidation.

3. Ensure notification of victims, witnesses, relatives of those

victims and witnesses who are minors, and relatives of homicide victims,

if such persons provide the appropriate official with a current address

and telephone number, either by phone or by mail, if possible, of

judicial proceedings relating to their case, including:

(a) the arrest of an accused;

(b) the initial appearance of an accused before a judicial officer;

(c) the release of an accused pending judicial proceedings; and

(d) proceedings in the prosecution of the accused including entry of a

plea of guilty, trial, sentencing, but prior to sentencing specific

information shall be provided regarding the right to seek restitution

and reparation, and where a term of imprisonment is imposed, specific

information shall be provided regarding maximum and minimum terms of

such imprisonment.