US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases

     611A.038 Right to submit statement at sentencing. 

    (a) A victim has the right to submit an impact statement to 
 the court at the time of sentencing or disposition hearing.  The 
 impact statement may be presented to the court orally or in 
 writing, at the victim's option.  If the victim requests, the 
 prosecutor must orally present the statement to the court. 

    Statements may include the following, subject to reasonable 
 limitations as to time and length: 

    (1) a summary of the harm or trauma suffered by the victim 
 as a result of the crime; 

    (2) a summary of the economic loss or damage suffered by 
 the victim as a result of the crime; and 

    (3) a victim's reaction to the proposed sentence or 
 disposition. 

    (b) A representative of the community affected by the crime 
 may submit an impact statement in the same manner that a victim 
 may as provided in paragraph (a).  This impact statement shall 
 describe the adverse social or economic effects the offense has 
 had on persons residing and businesses operating in the 
 community where the offense occurred. 

    (c) If the court permits the defendant or anyone speaking 
 on the defendant's behalf to present a statement to the court, 
 the court shall limit the response to factual issues which are 
 relevant to sentencing. 

    (d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to extend 
 the defendant's right to address the court under section 631.20. 

    HIST: 1988 c 649 s 3; 1989 c 290 art 2 s 16; 1997 c 239 art 7 
 s 21 

Copyright 2005 by the Office of Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota.