Wyoming Victim’s Bill of Rights

As a victim or witness of a crime in Wyoming, you have the right:

• To be treated with compassion, respect and sensitivity;
• To be provided with information and notification about the status of your case;
• To receive restitution from offenders;
• To know all rights under this law including information about services and assistance available to you as a crime victim; To have a translator to inform you of these rights, if needed.
• To reasonable protection and safety, and the right to know of legal recourse if threatened;
• To be present at trial;
• To make a victim impact statement at sentencing and parole hearings;
• To the prompt return of property seized as evidence;
• To preservation of employment while participating on the criminal justice process.

Restitution

Restitution can be ordered for damages and costs incurred as a direct result of a crime and that crime is being prosecuted.
Punitive damages, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of consortium can not be awarded.
Examples of awarded costs are medical bills, counseling and replacement and/or repair of property.

Restorative Justice

Restorative justice emphasizes the importance of elevating the role of crime victims and community members through more active involvement in the justice process, holding offenders directly accountable to the people and communities that they have violated, restoring the emotional and material losses of victims, and providing a range of opportunities for dialogue, negotiation and problem solving whenever possible, which can lead to greater sense of community safety, social harmony, and peace for all involved.

Crime Victim Compensation

The mission of this program is to assist innocent victims of violent crime with out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the crime. The program was established for victims who have been physically or emotionally injured in a violent crime.

Examples of compensated losses are mental health counseling and care, medical, dental or hospital care, funeral or burial expenses, loss of earnings, loss of support from dependents, homemaker replacement services, eyeglasses, hearing aids, prosthetic or medically necessary devices.

The crime must have occurred in Wyoming, must be reported as soon as possible, cooperate in the investigation and the within 1 year of injury or death.

For more information about Victim Compensation in Wyoming, please call our office at 307-672-3222 or visit their site.