Justice for Crime Victims Act of 2014 - Amends the federal criminal code to add to the list of crime victims' rights: (1) the right to be informed in a timely manner of any plea bargain or deferred prosecution agreement, and (2) the right to be informed of victims' rights and the services described in the Victims' Rights and Restitution Act of 1990 and to be provided contact information for the Office of the Victims' Rights Ombudsman of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Requires the court of appeals to: (1) take up and decide an application for relief and writ of mandamus regarding a victim's rights within 72 hours after a petition has been filed (current law), unless the litigants, with the court's approval, have stipulated to a different time period for consideration; and (2) apply ordinary standards of appellate review in deciding such application.
Defines "court of appeals" for purposes of crime victims' rights provisions to mean: (1) the U.S. court of appeals for the judicial district in which a defendant is being prosecuted; or (2) for a prosecution in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
Makes sums in the Crime Victims Fund that are made available for the U.S. Attorneys Offices and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for services for the benefit of crime victims in the federal criminal justice system to be available only for such services provided through victim coordinators, victims' specialists, and advocates, including for the administrative support of such victim coordinators and advocates.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4165 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4165
To protect crime victims' rights.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 6, 2014
Mr. Franks of Arizona (for himself, Mr. Costa, Mr. Royce, Mr. Poe of
Texas, and Mr. Gosar) introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To protect crime victims' rights.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Justice for Crime Victims Act of
2014''.
SEC. 2. CRIME VICTIMS' RIGHTS.
(a) In General.--Section 3771 of title 18, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following:
``(9) The right to be informed in a timely manner of any
plea bargain or deferred prosecution agreement.
``(10) The right to be informed of the rights under this
section and the services described in section 503(c) of the
Victims' Rights and Restitution Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.
10607(c)) and provided contact information for the Office of
the Victims' Rights Ombudsman of the Department of Justice.'';
(2) in subsection (d)(3), in the fifth sentence, by
inserting ``, unless the litigants, with the approval of the
court, have stipulated to a different time period for
consideration'' before the period; and
(3) in subsection (e)--
(A) by striking ``this chapter, the term'' and
inserting the following: ``this chapter:
``(1) Court of appeals.--The term `court of appeals'
means--
``(A) the United States court of appeals for the
judicial district in which a defendant is being
prosecuted; or
``(B) for a prosecution in the Superior Court of
the District of Columbia, the District of Columbia
Court of Appeals.
``(2) Crime victim.--
``(A) In general.--The term'';
(B) by striking ``In the case'' and inserting the
following:
``(B) Minors and certain other victims.--In the
case''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) District court; court.--The terms `district court'
and `court' include the Superior Court of the District of
Columbia.''.
(b) Crime Victims Fund.--Section 1402(d)(3) of the Victims of Crime
Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10601(d)(3)) is amended--
(1) by inserting ``(A)'' before ``Of the sums''; and
(2) by striking ``available for the United States Attorneys
Offices'' and all that follows and inserting the following:
``available only for--
``(i) the United States Attorneys Offices
and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to
provide and improve services for the benefit of
crime victims in the Federal criminal justice
system (as described in 3771 of title 18,
United States Code, and section 503 of the
Victims' Rights and Restitution Act of 1990 (42
U.S.C. 10607)) through victim coordinators,
victims' specialists, and advocates, including
for the administrative support of victim
coordinators and advocates providing such
services; and
``(ii) a Victim Notification System.
``(B) Amounts made available under subparagraph (A)
may not be used for any purpose that is not specified
in clause (i) or (ii) of subparagraph (A).''.
(c) Appellate Review of Petitions Relating to Crime Victims'
Rights.--
(1) In general.--Section 3771(d)(3) of title 18, United
States Code, as amended by subsection (a)(2) of this section,
is amended by inserting after the fifth sentence the following:
``In deciding such application, the court of appeals shall
apply ordinary standards of appellate review.''.
(2) Application.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall
apply with respect to any petition for a writ of mandamus filed
under section 3771(d)(3) of title 18, United States Code, that
is pending on the date of enactment of this Act.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line