(a) All victims of crime shall, upon their request, have the right to:

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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 40-38-103

  • Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • 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.
  • Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
  • Habeas corpus: A writ that is usually used to bring a prisoner before the court to determine the legality of his imprisonment. It may also be used to bring a person in custody before the court to give testimony, or to be prosecuted.
  • Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • 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:
  • Presentence report: A report prepared by a court's probation officer, after a person has been convicted of an offense, summarizing for the court the background information needed to determine the appropriate sentence. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in a perceivable form. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • Victim Impact Statement: A written or spoken statement by the victim or his or her representative about the physical, emotional, and financial impact of a crime on the victim. The statement is given to the court before sentencing.
(1) Be fully informed orally, in writing or by video tape by the office of the district attorney general, acting through the appropriate victim-witness coordinator, of the following:

(A) The various steps and procedures involved in the criminal justice system;
(B) The procedure and basis for continuances in the proceedings;
(C) The procedure involved in the plea-bargaining process and how to request input into the process;
(D) The times, dates and locations of all pertinent stages in the proceedings following presentment or indictment by the grand jury;
(E) The methods by which the victim may have input into a convicted defendant‘s sentence, including the presentence report and the sentencing hearing;
(F) The stages in the appellate process and how to obtain information concerning appellate action that has an effect on the defendant’s conviction or sentence and the date a defendant’s sentence becomes final;
(G) How to obtain pertinent information relating to the possible release of an appropriate inmate, including notification of any department of correction decision permitting the inmate’s release into the community or any scheduled hearing by the board of parole concerning the inmate’s parole or application for executive clemency;
(H) The methods by which the victim may obtain restitution directly from the defendant and information about obtaining assistance in obtaining restitution; and
(I) The methods by which the victim may obtain a monetary award or other benefits from the criminal injuries compensation fund and information about obtaining assistance in securing the award or benefits;
(2) Whenever possible, be advised and informed of plea bargaining discussions and agreements prior to the entry of any plea agreement where the victim is a victim of violent crime involving death of a family member or serious bodily injury, speak at parole hearings, submit a victim impact statement to the courts and the board of parole and give impact testimony at court sentencing hearings;
(3) Be informed that § 41-21-240 requires the department to notify them, upon their request, at least ninety (90) days prior to the date an inmate with a sentence of two (2) years or more is scheduled to be released by reason of expiration of the inmate’s sentence and be informed how the request of the department is made; and
(4) Be compensated for expenses actually and reasonably incurred as the result of traveling to and from the trial of the defendant or defendants and traveling to and from appellate, postconviction or habeas corpus proceedings resulting from the trial of the defendant or defendants alleged to have committed a compensable offense subject to title 29, chapter 13, part 1, and the availability of funds in the criminal injuries compensation fund.
(b) Upon the request of a victim of violent crime involving serious bodily injury or death of a relative, the victim shall be supplied information and a request form by the law enforcement agency responsible for the investigation of the crime or the arrest of the defendant, the sheriff or other custodian of the defendant, or the victim-witness coordinator as to how the victim or relative of a victim may request and secure notification of the release from custody of an offender from a jail or detention facility prior to trial. The jailer, sheriff, or other custodian of criminal offenders shall maintain a physical or electronic record or file of the victim’s request for notification and, prior to the release of an offender about whom a notification request has been made, give immediate and prompt notice of the release to the requesting victim or family member of a victim by the most direct means available, including telephone, messenger, or telegram; provided, that if the victim or family member of a victim is registered with the state‘s electronic victim notification system, the notice required by this section shall be communicated by the method or methods indicated by the registration in the system. Any identifying information contained in the request forms shall be confidential. For purposes of this subsection (b), “identifying information” means the name, home and work addresses, telephone numbers, email address, and social security number of the person being notified or requesting that notification be provided.
(c) In a prosecution for any criminal homicide, an appropriate photograph of the victim while alive shall be admissible evidence when offered by the district attorney general to show the general appearance and condition of the victim while alive.
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