Arizona Laws 8-416. Standing to invoke rights; recovery of damages; right to counsel
A. The rights enumerated in the victims’ bill of rights, article II, section 2.1, Constitution of Arizona, any implementing legislation or court rules belong to the victim. The victim has standing to seek an order, to bring a special action or to file a notice of appearance in a trial court or an appellate proceeding seeking to enforce any right or to challenge an order denying any right guaranteed to victims. A victim may not be charged a filing fee to file a special action or to seek an order pursuant to this subsection. In asserting any right, the victim has the right to be represented by personal counsel at the victim’s expense, and the proceedings may be initiated by the victim’s counsel or the prosecutor.
Terms Used In Arizona Laws 8-416
- Action: includes any matter or proceeding in a court, civil or criminal. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
- Chambers: A judge's office.
- Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
- Court: means the juvenile division of the superior court when exercising its jurisdiction over children in any proceeding relating to delinquency. See Arizona Laws 8-382
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
- Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
- Rights: means any right granted to the victim by the laws of this state. See Arizona Laws 8-382
- Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
- Victim: means a person against whom the delinquent act was committed, or if the person is killed or incapacitated, the person's spouse, parent, child, grandparent or sibling, any other person related to the person by consanguinity or affinity to the second degree or any other lawful representative of the person, except if the person or the person's spouse, parent, child, grandparent, sibling, other person related to the person by consanguinity or affinity to the second degree or other lawful representative is in custody for an offense or is the accused. See Arizona Laws 8-382
B. A victim has the right to recover damages from a governmental entity responsible for the intentional, knowing or grossly negligent violation of the victim’s rights under the victims’ bill of rights, article II, section 2.1, Constitution of Arizona, any implementing legislation or court rule. Nothing in this section alters or abrogates any provision for immunity provided for under common law or statute.
C. At the request of the victim, the prosecutor may assert any right to which the victim is entitled.
D. On the filing of a notice of appearance, counsel for the victim shall be endorsed on all pleadings and, if present, be included in all bench conferences and in chambers meetings and sessions with the trial court that directly involve a victim’s right enumerated in article II, section 2.1, Constitution of Arizona.
E. Notwithstanding any other law and without limiting any rights and powers of the victim, the victim has the right to present evidence or information and to make an argument to the court, personally or through counsel, at any proceeding to determine the amount of restitution pursuant to section 13-804.