Duties and Responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities. (a) The duties and responsibilities of the Victim Witness Advocacy Unit shall include, but not be limited to: (1) Preparation and dissemination of the victims’ bill of rights as enumerated in this chapter to all appropriate agencies; (2) Assist victims in securing full benefit of said rights; (3) Establish a victims’ transportation program to ensure a victim’s access to all court appearances and assistance programs; (4) Coordinate the flow of information between the Criminal Division of the Attorney General’s office, the Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Public Defender’s office, the Department of Youth Services (DYS), and any and all victim support agencies and organizations such as Karidat which provide services to victims of crime; (5) Oversee implementation of this chapter; (6) Ensure that the rights and needs of crime victims are properly publicized and addressed; (7) Identify the victims of crime and inform them of the provisions of this chapter; (8) Serve as a clearinghouse for information relating to the problems encountered by the victims of crime; (9) Enlist the assistance of public and voluntary health, education, welfare, and rehabilitative agencies or groups in a concerted effort to aid persons who are victims of crime; (10) Act as an advocate for the victims of crime to obtain aid and services from public or private health, education, welfare, or rehabilitation agencies or groups to treat persons who have been victims of crime; and (11) Provide assistance to victims, in dealing with creditors and credit reporting agencies, if a financial exigency has resulted from the crime. (b) This section does not create a cause of action or defense in favor of a person arising out of the failure to perform any of the duties listed in subsections (a)(1) through (a)(11) of this section. Source: PL 10-81, § 5; (a) amended by PL 16-52, § 3 (January 29, 2010), modified. Commission Comment: The Commission revised subsection designations and capitalization to comply with standard code format. Subsections (a) through (k) were redesignated as subsections (a)(1) through (a)(11) and subsection (l) was redesignated as subsection (b). Although PL 16-52 failed to reenact subparts (1)-(11) and subsection (b) and did not specifically provide that the amendment was intended for subsection (a) only, the Commission retained subparts (1)-(11) and subsection (b) because it appears the omission was inadvertent.