if i am a vicitm of a serious crime and the defendant was released on bail, is it the law that i be notified

Question

if i am a vicitm of a serious crime and the defendant was released on bail, is it the law that i be notified

Answer

As a victim of a serious crime you may or may not be notified. It depends on the nature of the crime. For example Identity theft is a very serious crime but not one that necessarily would put you in physical danger if the accused was released on bail. Now if the serious crime was attempted murder I would hope that would get you notified.

In any case you can go to the AOPC website and find out what is going on in a particular criminal case. Further, you should be in contact with the Victim/Witness Services unit in your county. They can help you not only keeping you informed about the case but providing other services as well.

John