Appendix 3 : Entry of Appearance

(Name, address, and phone number of court where the case is being heard)

People of the state of (state where the case is being tried) v. (the defendant’s name)

Case number: (put the case number here)

(Family spokesman’s or lawyer’s name and contact information)

(Your family spokesman’s or lawyer’s name) hereby enters an appearance on behalf of the family of (your loved one’s name), the crime victim in this case. The family wishes to be heard in this matter.

In accordance with the mandatory requirements of (insert your state’s victims rights law or laws) and the rights afforded therein, the victim in this matter formally makes the following requests:

To be informed of and to be present for all “critical stages” of the criminal justice process, including but not limited to the following stages:
The filing of charges or decision not to file charges
The arraignment
Any hearing on motions concerning evidentiary matters or pre- or post-plea relief
Any disposition of the complaint or charges
The trial
Any sentencing hearing
Any appellate review or appellate decision
Any attack on judgment or conviction
The decision to enter into a diversion or other agreement
To be notified in writing of all victim’s rights
To be informed of the status of the case and any scheduling changes or cancellations
To be free from intimidation, harassment, or abuse; to be told what steps to take if such events occur; and to be informed about available protection services.
To be informed when the offender is released from custody.
To be present and heard in court regarding any bond reduction or modification, acceptance of any nolo contendere plea or negotiated plea, sentencing, or any modification of a sentence.
To talk with the prosecutor before the case is resolved and to be informed of resolution.
To view the pre-sentence report.
To be afforded the opportunity to prepare a victim’s impact statement and to be present and heard either orally and/or in writing (at the victim’s selection) at sentencing.
To be afforded a hearing to determine the amount of restitution to be paid to the victim for all actual pecuniary damages.
To have the victim’s written or oral impact statement included with any referral of the offender to community corrections.
To be afforded all other victim’s rights available under (state where case is being tried) law.