NCVLI’s Victim Resources Database provides information and links for a variety of resources, including civil legal services. Click here to access the map.
Victims’ rights in the criminal justice system vary from state to state and between the states and the federal criminal justice systems. To know what your rights are:
As is described in detail in NCVLI’s Victim Law Bulletin, November 2011, Compensation is money paid from the government to a crime victim to reimburse the victim for certain losses incurred as a result of a crime.
When a person charged with a crime has mental health concerns several things can occur. Two are highlighted here:
During plea bargaining, the prosecution offers to dismiss or reduce charges against the defendant in exchange for the defendant pleading guilty and waiving his right to a trial. In addition, the prosecution may offer to recommend a particular sentence, or agree not to oppose defendant’s request for a sentence. Some of the factors that the prosecution and defendant each weigh during this process as they each decide whether to proceed to a plea agreement are: 1) the amount and quality of the evidence against the defendant; 2) potential defenses to the charges; 3) the amount of time a trial will take; 4) the amount of time defendant will serve in jail/prison; and 4); the effect of the case on the victim. Plea bargaining ends when the plea agreement is reached.
VINE offers crime victims and other concerned citizens the ability to receive updates on criminal cases, offender custody status, and the option to register to be notified in the event of an offender’s release, transfer or escape. The VINE website provides information on the availability of VINE by state, how to register, and links to training opportunities for using the VINE systems. VINE notifications are available online, by phone, email, text messaging, or TTY device. For further information, please click here.
Please click here to go to our library and download the document which provides the key victims’ rights laws in your state (or the state where the crime occurred).
The lawyer will be helping you solve your problems, so the first qualification is that you must feel comfortable enough to tell him or her, honestly and completely, all the facts necessary to resolve your problem. No one you listen to and nothing you read will be able to guarantee that a particular lawyer will be the best for you; you must judge that for yourself.
Employers or unions set up a fund to pay the employees’ legal fees, with the employee sometimes contributing a small co-payment. Legal group plans have become much more widespread in recent years. Some retail department stores and credit card companies even offer such plans to their customers.
Some legal aid offices have their own staff lawyers, and others operate with volunteer lawyers. Note that people do not have a right to a free lawyer in civil legal matters. I have been accused of a crime, and I cannot afford a lawyer.
Several legal assistance programs offer inexpensive or free legal services to those in need. Look in the yellow pages under topics such as “legal clinics,” “legal aid,” or “legal advice,” or search online. Most legal aid programs have special guidelines for eligibility, often based on where you live, the size of your family, and your income. Some legal aid offices have their own staff lawyers, and others operate with volunteer lawyers. Note that people do not have a right to a free lawyer in civil legal matters.
In some ways, yes, ads are useful. However, always be careful about believing everything you read and hear — and nowhere is this truer than with advertisements. Newspaper, telephone directory, radio, television, and Internet ads, along with direct mail, can make you familiar with the names of lawyers who may be appropriate for your legal needs. Some ads also will help you determine a lawyer’s area of expertise. Other ads will quote a fee or price range for handling a specific type of “simple” case. Keep in mind that your case may not have a simple solution. If a lawyer quotes a fee, be certain you know exactly what services and expenses the charge does and does not include.
You pay a $41 administration fee to SCCBA's Lawyer Referral Service for the referral. The person then contacts the attorney for a free 30 minute consultation to discuss the case.
If you need to find an attorney in Santa Clara County or San Jose, CA, then consider using the Lawyer Referral Program sponsored by the SCCBA. These services provide an alternative to finding an attorney using an internet search or using an online attorney directory.
According to its website, the SCCBA receives approximately 35,000 calls each year. The referrals from those calls generate nearly one million dollars each year in attorney fees for the attorneys that participate in the service in San Jose and throughout Santa Clara County.
Based on the legal issue described, the staff refers the person to a qualified attorney with experience in that practice area.
The Santa Clara County Bar Association sponsors a non-profit Lawyer Referral Service in San Jose, CA. For more than 20 years, this non-profit community service is certified by the State Bar of California. It helps individuals and businesses find a qualified attorney from its offices in San Jose, California.
Networking and collaboration among attorneys who represent people with disabilities in such litigation and other legal advocacy strategies enhances the effectiveness of the overall legal services such attorneys provide.
Mentoring attorneys and law students who are new to the practice of disability rights law will improve access for people with disabilities to all aspects of our society.
Notifying DRBA members about developments in disability rights cases and developments in disability law.
The DRBA is an online network of attorneys who specialize in disability civil rights law.
To support, promote and facilitate the practice of disability rights law by: 1 Disseminating information regarding disability law, advocacy and civil rights enforcement. 2 Exchanging strategies concerning disability rights cases. 3 Notifying DRBA members about developments in disability rights cases and developments in disability law.