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

SECTION 12-28-11

   § 12-28-11  Notification to immediatefamily members of homicide victims. – (a) For purposes of this section, "immediate family members" means a spouse andany dependent children of the victim as well as a person who is related to thevictim 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 orstepgrandfather.

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