§10454 Grant Eligibility Regarding Compelling Victim Testimony

Summary

To get grant money, the head of a prosecutor’s office must certify to the state, Indian tribal, or territorial government that, for the 3-year period starting on the date the grant is awarded, the office will plan, develop, and carry out victim-centered work. The office must run expert-led training on victim-centered approaches for domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking cases. It must adopt policies based on that training to support victims. It must also create a protocol of alternative steps to try first—consistent with best practices—before using material witness petitions or bench warrants (legal steps to require a witness to appear) to get victim-witness testimony in investigations, prosecutions, or trials for those crimes, to avoid further harm to the victim.