§ 12-28-11 — § 12-28-11. Notification to immediate family members of homicide victims.

§ 12-28-11. Notification to immediate family members of homicide victims.

(a) For purposes of this section, "immediate family members� means a spouse and any dependent children of the victim as well as a person who is related to the victim whether by blood, adoption or marriage, as any of the following: father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother, grandson, granddaughter, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half-brother, half-sister, stepgrandmother or stepgrandfather.

(b) In addition to any other rights given to victims of crimes under this title, the immediate family members of the victim of any homicide shall be afforded reasonable written or oral notification from the office of the attorney general of the pendency of a bail hearing, pretrial, trial or disposition relating to a party accused of the homicide, and that notice shall be provided at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the hearing, pretrial, trial or disposition. The notification provided by this section shall be required only as to those immediate family members who have filed a request with a court which has asserted jurisdiction over the accused/defendant. The attorney general shall promulgate forms to effect the request.

Legislative History

P.L. 1996, ch. 409, § 1; P.L. 1998, ch. 431, § 1; 12-28-12.