Minnesota Statutes 611A.037 – Presentence Investigation; Victim Impact; Notice
Subdivision 1.Victim impact statement.
A presentence investigation report prepared under section 609.115 shall include the following information relating to victims:
Terms Used In Minnesota Statutes 611A.037
- Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- 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:
- Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
(1) a summary of the damages or harm and any other problems generated by the criminal occurrence;
(2) a concise statement of what disposition the victim deems appropriate for the defendant or juvenile court respondent, including reasons given, if any, by the victim in support of the victim’s opinion; and
(3) an attachment to the report, consisting of the victim’s written objections, if any, to the proposed disposition if the victim provides the officer conducting the presentence investigation with this written material within a reasonable time prior to the disposition.
Subd. 2.Notice to victim.
The officer conducting a presentence or predispositional investigation shall make reasonable and good faith efforts to assure that the victim of that crime is provided with the following information by contacting the victim or assuring that another public or private agency has contacted the victim: (1) the charge or juvenile court petition to which the defendant has been convicted or pleaded guilty, or the juvenile respondent has admitted in court or has been found to have committed by the juvenile court, and of any plea agreement between the prosecution and the defense counsel; (2) the victim’s right to request restitution pursuant to section 611A.04; (3) the time and place of the sentencing or juvenile court disposition and the victim’s right to be present; and (4) the victim’s right to object in writing to the court, prior to the time of sentencing or juvenile court disposition, to the proposed sentence or juvenile dispositional alternative, or to the terms of the proposed plea agreement. To assist the victim in making a recommendation under clause (4), the officer shall provide the victim with information about the court’s options for sentencing and other dispositions. Failure of the officer to comply with this subdivision does not give any rights or grounds for postconviction or postjuvenile disposition relief to the defendant or juvenile court respondent, nor does it entitle a defendant or a juvenile court respondent to withdraw a plea of guilty.