Statutes | 13 V.S.A. ยง 5563 | 2024
(a) If the address of a victim of the crime which the petitioner claims to be innocent of in the petition is known, the states attorney or attorney general shall give written notice of a petition under this section to the victim upon the victims request. If the victims current address is not known, the states attorney or the attorney general shall consult with the department of corrections victim services division to verify the victims last known address. The notice shall be by any reasonable means to the victims last known address and shall indicate whether the petitioner is represented by public or private counsel. Upon the victims request, the states attorney or attorney general shall give the victim notice of the time and place of any hearing on the petition and shall inform the victim of the disposition of the petition and the outcome of any hearing. If DNA testing is ordered, the states attorney or the attorney general shall inform the victim whether the test results require further court hearings, the time and place of any hearings, and the outcome of the hearings.
(b) The rights of victims contained in this section do not entitle a victim to be a party in any proceeding, or to any procedural rights which are not specifically provided for in this section, including any right to request a delay or rescheduling of any proceeding.