June 16, 2021
The Crime Victims’ Rights Act gives “crime victims” a right to “confer” with government attorneys and to be “reasonably heard” in the course of federal criminal prosecutions. The Act calls on federal courts to “ensure” that victims are “afforded” these rights. (See Abramowitz and Sack, “Victims’ Rights and White Collar Defense,” New York Law Journal (July 11, 2017)). An important procedural issue has arisen under the CVRA: when does a victim’s right to confer arise – before charges are filed in court, or only afterward.