77-38-11. Enforcement -- Appellate Review -- No right to money damages.
(1) If a person acting under color of state law willfully or wantonly fails to perform
duties so that the rights in this chapter are not provided, an action for injunctive relief, including
prospective injunctive relief, may be brought against the individual and the governmental entity
that employs the individual.
(2) The victim of a crime or representative of a victim of a crime, including any Victims'
Rights Committee as defined in Section 77-37-5 may:
(a) bring an action for declaratory relief or for a writ of mandamus defining or enforcing
the rights of victims and the obligations of government entities under this chapter;
(b) petition to file an amicus brief in any court in any case affecting crime victims; and
(c) after giving notice to the prosecution and the defense, seek an appropriate remedy for
a violation of a victim's right from the judge assigned to the case involving the issue as provided
in Section 77-38-11.
(3) (a) Upon a showing that the victim has not unduly delayed in seeking to protect the
victim's right, and after hearing from the prosecution and the defense, the judge shall determine
whether a right of the victim has been violated.
(b) If the judge determines that a victim's right has been violated, the judge shall proceed
to determine the appropriate remedy for the violation of the victim's right by hearing from the
victim and the parties, considering all factors relevant to the issue, and then awarding an
appropriate remedy to the victim. The court shall reconsider any judicial decision or judgment
affected by a violation of the victim's right and determine whether, upon affording the victim the
right and further hearing from the prosecution and the defense, the decision or judgment would
have been different. If the court's decision or judgment would have been different, the court shall
enter the new different decision or judgment as the appropriate remedy. If necessary to protect
the victim's right, the new decision or judgment shall be entered nunc pro tunc to the time the
first decision or judgment was reached. In no event shall the appropriate remedy be a new trial,
damages, attorney fees, or costs.
(c) The appropriate remedy shall include only actions necessary to provide the victim the
right to which the victim was entitled and may include reopening previously held proceedings.
Subject to Subsection (3)(d), the court may reopen a sentence or a previously entered guilty or no
contest plea only if doing so would not preclude continued prosecution or sentencing the
defendant and would not otherwise permit the defendant to escape justice. Any remedy shall be
tailored to provide the victim an appropriate remedy without violating any constitutional right of
the defendant.
(d) If the court sets aside a previously entered plea of guilty or no contest, and thereafter
continued prosecution of the charge is held to be prevented by the defendant's having been
previously put in jeopardy, the order setting aside the plea is void and the plea is reinstated as of
the date of its original entry.
(e) The court may not award as a remedy the dismissal of any criminal charge.
(f) The court may not award any remedy if the proceeding that the victim is challenging
occurred more than 90 days before the victim filed an action alleging the violation of the right.
(4) The failure to provide the rights in this chapter or Title 77, Chapter 37, Victims'
Rights, shall not constitute cause for a judgment against the state or any government entity, or
any individual employed by the state or any government entity, for monetary damages, attorney
fees, or the costs of exercising any rights under this chapter.
Amended by Chapter 120, 2009 General Session
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Last revised: Thursday, May 28, 2009