Minnesota Statutes 611A.03 – Plea Agreements; Notification
Subdivision 1.Plea agreements; notification of victim.
Prior to the entry of the factual basis for a plea pursuant to a plea agreement recommendation, a prosecuting attorney shall make a reasonable and good faith effort to inform the victim of:
Terms Used In Minnesota Statutes 611A.03
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
- Plea agreement: An arrangement between the prosecutor, the defense attorney, and the defendant in which the defendant agrees to plead guilty in exchange for special considerations. Source:
(1) the contents of the plea agreement recommendation, including the amount of time recommended for the defendant to serve in jail or prison if the court accepts the agreement;
(2) the right to be present at the sentencing hearing and at the hearing during which the plea is presented to the court and to express orally or in writing, at the victim’s option, any objection to the agreement or to the proposed disposition. If the victim is not present when the court considers the recommendation, but has communicated objections to the prosecuting attorney, the prosecuting attorney shall make these objections known to the court; and
(3) the eligibility of the offense for automatic expungement pursuant to section 609A.015.
[See Note.]
Subd. 2.Notification duties.
A prosecuting attorney satisfies the requirements of subdivision 1 by notifying:
(1) the victim’s legal guardian or guardian ad litem; or
(2) the three victims the prosecuting attorney believes to have suffered the most, if there are more than three victims of the offense.
Subd. 3.
[Repealed, 1988 c 649 s 5]