Victim Impact Statements
You know better than anyone else how your life has changed as a result of this crime. The affect of the crime, told by the victim of the crime, is information that cannot be obtained from any other source.
Victim Impact Statements have become an important tool in the criminal justice process. A Victim Impact Statement is a detailed account of the emotional, physical, and financial effects the crime has had on the victim and family members. It will give you the opportunity to help the court understand the many ways that this crime has affected you and those close to you. Your statement, or summary of it, will become a formal part of the court record and will be available to the defendant and his or her attorney. As a victim, you have the right to allocution, or to be reasonably heard, and may also address the Judge in order to express your feelings and reactions to this crime. The Victim Impact Statement and victim allocution will give the court a good understanding of how this crime has changed your life.
In preparing your statement, you may wish to think about issues such as:
- Has your ability to relate to people changed since the crime?
- Have your feelings about yourself changed in any way?
- Has the crime affected your lifestyle or the lifestyle of your family, close friends or coworkers?
- Has the crime affected your ability to earn a living or to work?
The Judge will also be considering the matter of restitution in your case. Restitution is a Judge's order that a defendant make payment to you or your corporation for your actual financial losses resulting from the crime. The Judge may use the information provided by you in the Victim Impact Statement to determine what amount, if any, of restitution is ordered to be paid to each victim. There is no guarantee, however, that the defendant will be able to pay any amount even if it is ordered by the Judge. Restitution orders in criminal cases are independent of and different from monetary awards in civil cases.
Examples of items which may be claimed for restitution include:
- Medical expenses not fully covered by insurance
- Lost property or repairs to property you have recovered
- Money illegally taken or any additional financial expenses as a result of this crime
If you are a victim, and have questions regarding Victim Impact Statements, or your right to personally address the court at sentencing, please call our main office in Des Moines, Iowa at 1-800-848-0869, or our branch office in Davenport, Iowa at 1-888-464-8370 and ask to speak with the Victim Witness staff.