When You Are The Victim
Minn. Stat. 611A.02 — a notice of victims' rights from the officer, at the scene or when the report is made
The first notice. A peace officer distributes the initial notice of the rights of crime victims to each victim at the time of initial contact with the victim at the scene, or when the victim makes a report. The notice may be given as a document or electronically.
- The right to apply to the Minnesota Crime Victims Reimbursement Program for losses from a violent crime, not including property losses, and how to apply.
- The right to request that the law enforcement agency withhold public access to data revealing the victim's identity.
- The additional rights of domestic abuse victims.
- Statewide crime victim help lines, the state address confidentiality program, and the nearest crime victim assistance program or resource.
- The right to be notified if an offender is charged, to participate in the prosecution process, and to request restitution upon conviction.
Those are the matters the initial notice informs a victim of, as the section lists them.
A second notice, from the prosecutor. The city or county attorney's office distributes a supplemental notice to each victim within a reasonable time after the offender is charged or petitioned. It informs the victim of all the rights of crime victims under the chapter.
Homicide and juvenile cases. In a homicide case, law enforcement distributes a supplemental notice with resources and information specific to homicide victims. When the offense was committed by a juvenile, the prosecutor's office distributes a notice covering the rights of victims in juvenile court, when a juvenile matter is public, and the right to attend certain proceedings.
The rights themselves, restitution, and the reimbursement program are set out in other sections of the chapter that are not on this page. How they apply in a particular case is a question for the prosecutor's victim services office or a licensed Minnesota attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Minn. Stat. 611A.02 — Notification of victim services and victims' rights
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Minnesota attorney.