725 ILCS 120/6 — Illinois Code / Chapter 725 / Act 120 / Section 6
Section 6
Status: in_force

(725 ILCS 120/6) (from Ch. 38, par. 1406) Sec. 6. Right to be heard at sentencing. (a) A crime victim shall be allowed to present an oral or written statement in any case in which a defendant has been convicted of a violent crime or a juvenile has been adjudicated delinquent for a violent crime after a bench or jury trial, or a defendant who was charged with a violent crime and has been convicted under a plea agreement of a crime that is not a violent crime as defined in subsection (c) of Section 3 of this Act. The court shall allow a victim to make an oral statement if the victim is present in the courtroom and requests to make an oral statement. An oral statement includes the victim or a representative of the victim reading the written statement. The court may allow persons impacted by the crime who are not victims under subsection (a) of Section 3 of this Act to present an oral or written statement. A victim and any person making an oral statement shall not be put under oath or subject to cross-examination. The court shall consider any statement presented along with all other appropriate factors in determining the sentence of the defendant or disposition of such juvenile. (a-1) In any case where a defendant has been convicted of a violation of any statute, ordinance, or regulation relating to the operation or use of motor vehicles, the use of streets and highways by pedestrians or the operation of any other wheeled or tracked vehicle, except parking violations, if the violation resulted in great bodily harm or death, the person who suffered great bodily harm, the injured person's representative, or the representative of a deceased person shall be entitled to notice of the sentencing hearing. "Representative" includes the spouse, guardian, grandparent, or other immediate family or household member of an injured or deceased person. The injured person or his or her representative and a representative of the deceased person shall have the right to address the court regarding the impact that the defendant's criminal conduct has had upon them. If more than one representative of an injured or deceased person is present in the courtroom at the time of sentencing, the court has discretion to permit one or more of the representatives to present an oral impact statement. A victim and any person making an oral statement shall not be put under oath or subject to cross-examination. The court shall consider any impact statement presented along with all other appropriate factors in determining the sentence of the defendant. (a-5) A crime victim shall be allowed to present an oral and written victim impact statement at a hearing ordered by the court under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code to determine if the defendant is: (1) in need of mental health services on an inpatient basis; (2) in need of mental health services on an outpatient basis; or (3) not in need of mental health services, unless the defendant was under 18 years of age at the time the offense was committed. The court shall allow a victim to make an oral impact statement if the victim is present in the courtroom and requests to make an oral statement. An oral statement includes the victim or a representative of the victim reading the written impact statement. The court may allow persons impacted by the crime who are not victims under subsection (a) of Section 3 of this Act, to present an oral or written statement. A victim and any person making an oral statement shall not be put under oath or subject to cross-examination. The court may only consider the impact statement along with all other appropriate factors in determining the: (1) threat of serious physical harm posed by the respondent to himself or herself, or to another person; (2) location of inpatient or outpatient mental health services ordered by the court, but only after complying with all other applicable administrative, rule, and statutory requirements; (3) maximum period of commitment for inpatient mental health services; and (4) conditions of release for outpatient mental health services ordered by the court. (b) The crime victim has the right to prepare a victim impact statement and present it to the Office of the State's Attorney at any time during the proceedings. Any written victim impact statement submitted to the Office of the State's Attorney shall be considered by the court during its consideration of aggravation and mitigation in plea proceedings under Supreme Court Rule 402. (b-5) The crime victim has the right to register with the Prisoner Review Board's victim registry. The crime victim has the right to submit a victim statement to the Board for consideration at hearings as provided in Section 4.5. Victim statements provided to the Board shall be confidential and privileged, including any statements received prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly, except if the statement was an oral statement made by the victim at a hearing open to the public. (c) This Section shall apply to any victims during any dispositional hearing under Section 5-705 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 which takes place pursuant to an adjudication or trial or plea of delinquency for any such offense. (d) If any provision of this Section or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity of that provision does not affect any other provision or application of this Section that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application. (Source: P.A. 100-961, eff. 1-1-19; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-288, eff. 1-1-20.)