• What is your name? • How old are you? • Do you go to school? If so, what is the name of your school? What grade are you in? • How do you feel about what happened to you? Examples: Happy, Sad, Mad, Scared, Confused, Other • What do you think should happen to the person who caused this crime? Examples: Go to jail, pay money to my family, get some help for his or her behavior, nothing, other Presenting Combined Victim Impact Statements In some counties or states only one person is allowed to present a Victim Impact Statement to the court. This decision often prevents others who have been impacted by the crime from having their voices heard. In these circumstances it may be possible for family or friends to combine multiple Victim Impact Statements together in one to fulfill both purposes.
Keep in mind that when combining statements, it may be longer than a traditional statement. However, you certainly want to keep it as brief and simple as possible. You may ask each family member to limit their statements to a few minutes each. You will also want to differentiate between individual statements by announcing whose statement you are reading on behalf of at the beginning of each separate statement.
Keep it brief and simple.
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