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42 Pa.C.S. § 9521

Defense-initiated victim or witness outreach

Known as the Judicial Code

The act spans §§ 42-101 to 42-9914 (972 sections).

(a) Requirements.--A person who engages in defense-initiated victim or witness outreach shall:

(1) Communicate in an honest manner without deception or misrepresentation.

(2) Unambiguously provide the person's identity by name, the person's employer and, if applicable, the name of the defendant convicted of the crime.

(b) Definition.--As used in this section, the term "defense-initiated victim or witness outreach" means any effort by a criminal defendant's counsel to directly or indirectly contact a victim or witness or a parent, guardian or family member of a victim or witness on behalf of the criminal defendant or the criminal defendant's counsel through any of the following:

(1) A victim liaison.

(2) A victim outreach specialist.

(3) A social worker.

(4) An investigator.

(5) Any other individual designated by the criminal defendant or the criminal defendant's counsel.

Official source: Pennsylvania General Assembly. Reproduced from public-domain Pennsylvania statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.