VSC Common Questions
Victim Services Commission
What to Expect
Common Victim Rights Complaint Process Questions
Not all victims of crime have rights under the Utah’s Victim Rights laws. While you may be a victim of a crime, you may not be a victim of a crime that is listed in the victim rights laws. View the full list of Utah’s Victim Rights laws here.
Some of your concerns may not fall under Utah’s Victim Rights laws. The victim rights compliance process is based on system change therefore it is not considered a “do-over” process. For example, the compliance process does not have the jurisdiction to make law enforcement arrest someone, make the prosecuting attorney’s office file a case, does not have discretion over the manner which a crime was investigated, cannot make a Court re-hold a hearing, cannot make probation revoke someone or change the outcome of a case. You can also contact Katie Fox, Victim Rights Coordinator by calling 385-508-5442 or [email protected] to help determine if your concerns fall under a victim rights violation.
While the Victim Services Commission takes steps to preserve victim privacy, the compliance process is not a confidential process. In general, it is an open process. The Judicial Victim Rights Committee in your area will review all submitted complaints. In addition, the agencies identified in a complaint will be provided with a copy of the complaint. Individuals who submit complaints are provided with the information submitted by the criminal justice agency(ies) in response to the written complaint. Moreover, the Victim Services Commission, a government agency, is subject to Utah laws concerning criminal justice records and open records. As a result, members of the public may request records kept at the Victim Services Commission, including victim rights complaints documents.
Once a victim rights complaint is submitted, the resulting victim rights complaint process may take from three (3) to six (6) months to complete. Working with the involved agency directly may result in a faster resolution of your concerns. In addition, the goal of the victim rights complaint process is to:
- determine whether your rights as a victim have been violated, and if so
- to change the system to prevent such violations from occurring in the future.
The Victim Rights Coordinator can offer you assistance with your rights as a crime victim.They can talk with you about your concerns and discuss the next steps for resolving your concerns. You can email [email protected] or call 385-508-5442.