725 ILCS 120/3 — Illinois Code / Chapter 725 / Act 120 / Section 3
Section 3
Status: in_force

(725 ILCS 120/3) (from Ch. 38, par. 1403) (Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 104-173) Sec. 3. The terms used in this Act shall have the following meanings: (a) "Crime victim" or "victim" means: (1) any natural person determined by the prosecutor or the court to have suffered direct physical or psychological harm as a result of a violent crime perpetrated or attempted against that person or direct physical or psychological harm as a result of (i) a violation of Section 11-501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code or similar provision of a local ordinance or (ii) a violation of Section 9-3 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012; (2) in the case of a crime victim who is under 18 years of age or an adult victim who is incompetent or incapacitated, both parents, legal guardians, foster parents, or a single adult representative; (3) in the case of an adult deceased victim, 2 representatives who may be the spouse, parent, child or sibling of the victim, or the representative of the victim's estate; and (4) an immediate family member of a victim under clause (1) of this paragraph (a) chosen by the victim. If the victim is 18 years of age or over, the victim may choose any person to be the victim's representative. In no event shall the defendant or any person who aided and abetted in the commission of the crime be considered a victim, a crime victim, or a representative of the victim. A board, agency, or other governmental entity making decisions regarding an offender's release, sentence reduction, or clemency can determine additional persons are victims for the purpose of its proceedings. (a-3) "Advocate" means a person whose communications with the victim are privileged under Section 8-802.1 or 8-802.2 of the Code of Civil Procedure, or Section 227 of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. (a-5) "Confer" means to consult together, share information, compare opinions and carry on a discussion or deliberation. (a-6) "DNA database" means a collection of DNA profiles from forensic casework or specimens from anonymous, identified, and unidentified sources that is created to search DNA records against each other to develop investigative leads among forensic cases. (a-7) "Sentence" includes, but is not limited to, the imposition of sentence, a request for a reduction in sentence, parole, mandatory supervised release, aftercare release, early release, inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, conditional release after a finding that the defendant is not guilty by reason of insanity, clemency, or a proposal that would reduce the defendant's sentence or result in the defendant's release. "Early release" refers to a discretionary release. (a-9) "Sentencing" includes, but is not limited to, the imposition of sentence and a request for a reduction in sentence, parole, mandatory supervised release, aftercare release, early release, consideration of inpatient treatment or outpatient treatment, or conditional release after a finding that the defendant is not guilty by reason of insanity. (a-10) "Status hearing" means a hearing designed to provide information to the court, at which no motion of a substantive nature and no constitutional or statutory right of a crime victim is implicated or at issue. (b) "Witness" means: any person who personally observed the commission of a crime and who will testify on behalf of the State of Illinois; or a person who will be called by the prosecution to give testimony establishing a necessary nexus between the offender and the violent crime. (c) "Violent crime" means: (1) any felony in which force or threat of force was used against the victim; (2) any offense involving sexual exploitation, sexual conduct, or sexual penetration; (3) a violation of Section 11-20.1, 11-20.1B, 11-20.3, 11-23, or 11-23.5 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012; (4) domestic battery or stalking; (5) violation of an order of protection, a civil no contact order, or a stalking no contact order; (6) any misdemeanor which results in death or great bodily harm to the victim; or (7) any violation of Section 9-3 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, or Section 11-501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, or a similar provision of a local ordinance, if the violation resulted in personal injury or death. "Violent crime" includes any action committed by a juvenile that would be a violent crime if committed by an adult. For the purposes of this paragraph, "personal injury" shall include any Type A injury as indicated on the traffic crash report completed by a law enforcement officer that requires immediate professional attention in either a doctor's office or medical facility. A type A injury shall include severely bleeding wounds, distorted extremities, and injuries that require the injured party to be carried from the scene. (d) (Blank). (e) "Court proceedings" includes, but is not limited to, the preliminary hearing, any post-arraignment hearing the effect of which may be the release of the defendant from custody or to alter the conditions of bond, change of plea hearing, the trial, any pretrial or post-trial hearing, sentencing, any oral argument or hearing before an Illinois appellate court, any hearing under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code or Section 5-2-4 of the Unified Code of Corrections after a finding that the defendant is not guilty by reason of insanity, including a hearing for conditional release, any hearing related to a modification of sentence, probation revocation hearing, aftercare release or parole hearings, post-conviction relief proceedings, habeas corpus proceedings and clemency proceedings related to the defendant's conviction or sentence. For purposes of the victim's right to be present, "court proceedings" does not include (1) grand jury proceedings, (2) status hearings, or (3) the issuance of an order or decision of an Illinois court that dismisses a charge, reverses a conviction, reduces a sentence, or releases an offender under a court rule. (f) "Concerned citizen" includes relatives of the victim, friends of the victim, witnesses to the crime, or any other person associated with the victim or prisoner. (g) "Victim's attorney" means an attorney retained by the victim for the purposes of asserting the victim's constitutional and statutory rights. An attorney retained by the victim means an attorney who is hired to represent the victim at the victim's expense or an attorney who has agreed to provide pro bono representation. Nothing in this statute creates a right to counsel at public expense for a victim. (h) "Support person" means a person chosen by a victim to be present at court proceedings. (Source: P.A. 102-982, eff. 7-1-23; 102-1104, eff. 1-1-23; 103-792, eff. 1-1-25.) (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 104-173) Sec. 3. The terms used in this Act shall have the following meanings: (a) "Crime victim" or "victim" means: (1) any natural person determined by the prosecutor or the court to have suffered direct physical or psychological harm as a result of a violent crime perpetrated or attempted against that person or direct physical or psychological harm as a result of (i) a violation of Section 11-501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code or similar provision of a local ordinance or (ii) a violation of Section 9-3 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012; (2) in the case of a crime victim who is under 18 years of age or an adult victim who is incompetent or incapacitated, both parents, legal guardians, foster parents, or a single adult representative; (3) in the case of an adult deceased victim, 2 representatives who may be the spouse, parent, child or sibling of the victim, or the representative of the victim's estate; and (4) an immediate family member of a victim under clause (1) of this paragraph (a) chosen by the victim. If the victim is 18 years of age or over, the victim may choose any person to be the victim's representative. In no event shall the defendant or any person who aided and abetted in the commission of the crime be considered a victim, a crime victim, or a representative of the victim. A board, agency, or other governmental entity making decisions regarding an offender's release, sentence reduction, or clemency can determine additional persons are victims for the purpose of its proceedings. (a-3) "Advocate" means a person whose communications with the victim are privileged under Section 8-802.1 or 8-802.2 of the Code of Civil Procedure, or Section 227 of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. (a-5) "Confer" means to consult together, share information, compare opinions and carry on a discussion or deliberation. (a-6) "DNA database" means a collection of DNA profiles from forensic casework or specimens from anonymous, identified, and unidentified sources that is created to search DNA records against each other to develop investigative leads among forensic cases. (a-7) "Sentence" includes, but is not limited to, the imposition of sentence, a request for a reduction in sentence, parole, mandatory supervised release, aftercare release, early release, inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, conditional release after a finding that the defendant is not guilty by reason of insanity, clemency, or a proposal that would reduce the defendant's sentence or result in the defendant's release. "Early release" refers to a discretionary release. (a-9) "Sentencing" includes, but is not limited to, the imposition of sentence and a request for a reduction in sentence, parole, mandatory supervised release, aftercare release, early release, consideration of inpatient treatment or outpatient treatment, or conditional release after a finding that the defendant is not guilty by reason of insanity. (a-10) "Status hearing" means a hearing designed to provide information to the court, at which no motion of a substantive nature and no constitutional or statutory right of a crime victim is implicated or at issue. (b) "Witness" means: any person who personally observed the commission of a crime and who will testify on behalf of the State of Illinois; or a person who will be called by the prosecution to give testimony establishing a necessary nexus between the offender and the violent crime. (c) "Violent crime" means: (1) any felony in which force or threat of force was used against the victim; (2) any offense involving sexual exploitation, sexual conduct, or sexual penetration; (3) a violation of Section 11-20.1, 11-20.1B, 11-20.3, 11-23, or 11-23.5 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012; (4) domestic battery or stalking; (5) violation of an order of protection, a civil no contact order, or a stalking no contact order; (6) any misdemeanor which results in death or great bodily harm to the victim; or (7) any violation of Section 9-3 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, or Section 11-501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, or a similar provision of a local ordinance, if the violation resulted in personal injury or death. "Violent crime" includes any action committed by a juvenile that would be a violent crime if committed by an adult. For the purposes of this paragraph, "personal injury" shall include any Type A injury as indicated on the traffic crash report completed by a law enforcement officer that requires immediate professional attention in either a doctor's office or medical facility. A type A injury shall include severely bleeding wounds, distorted extremities, and injuries that require the injured party to be carried from the scene. (d) (Blank). (e) "Court proceedings" includes, but is not limited to, the preliminary hearing, any post-arraignment hearing the effect of which may be the release of the defendant from custody or to alter the conditions of pretrial release, change of plea hearing, the trial, any pretrial or post-trial hearing, sentencing, any oral argument or hearing before an Illinois appellate court, any hearing under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code or Section 5-2-4 of the Unified Code of Corrections after a finding that the defendant is not guilty by reason of insanity, including a hearing for conditional release, any hearing related to a modification of sentence, probation revocation hearing, aftercare release or parole hearings, post-conviction relief proceedings, habeas corpus proceedings and clemency proceedings related to the defendant's conviction or sentence. For purposes of the victim's right to be present, "court proceedings" does not include (1) grand jury proceedings, (2) status hearings, or (3) the issuance of an order or decision of an Illinois court that dismisses a charge, reverses a conviction, reduces a sentence, or releases an offender under a court rule. (f) "Concerned citizen" includes relatives of the victim, friends of the victim, witnesses to the crime, or any other person associated with the victim or prisoner. (g) "Victim's attorney" means an attorney retained by the victim for the purposes of asserting the victim's constitutional and statutory rights. An attorney retained by the victim means an attorney who is hired to represent the victim at the victim's expense or an attorney who has agreed to provide pro bono representation. Nothing in this statute creates a right to counsel at public expense for a victim. (h) "Support person" means a person chosen by a victim to be present at court proceedings. (Source: P.A. 103-792, eff. 1-1-25; 104-173, eff. 1-1-26.)