Victim’s Rights – Marcy’s Law

In 2008, California voters passed Proposition 9 (Marsy’s Law) adding The Crime Victims Bill of Rights to the California Constitution.

Marsy's LawAhmadpour Law is committed to helping protect the constitutional rights of crime victims and their families with care, compassion, and diligence. We fight to ensure that victims and their families are treated with fairness and respect for their dignity and privacy rights. We also strive to eliminate intimidation, harassment, and abuse of victims and their families throughout the criminal or juvenile justice process.

Ahmadpour Law represents victims and their families in many ways, including but not limited to:

  • Meeting with the prosecuting agency to discuss the victim’s position prior to criminal charges being filed;
  • Notifying victims prior to every court proceeding and appearing in court with them;
  • Addressing the judge to present an argument on behalf of the victims regarding the amount of bail which would be most appropriate;
  • Refusing interviews, depositions, or discovery requests by the defendant, the defendant’s attorney, or any other person acting on behalf of the defendant, and setting reasonable conditions on the conduct of any such interview to which the victim consents.
  • Objecting to any delays in the proceedings, including the defendant’s request to continue the trial;
  • Presenting a victim-impact statement along with the victim which the judge is mandated to consider prior to sentencing;
  • Ensuring that the victim’s voice is heard by the judge, the prosecutor, and the defense attorney in the event that plea bargaining is occurring;
  • Attending and arguing against parole release at an inmate’s parole hearing.
  • Ensuring that the victim’s rights to seek and secure restitution for financial losses suffered are honored and that all monetary payments and property collected from any person who has been ordered to make restitution shall first be applied to pay the amounts ordered as restitution to the victim.

Sam has assisted thousands of crime victims and their families with these sensitive issues in the following cases:

  • Adult and Child Sexual Offenses
  • Assault and Battery
  • Assault with a Deadly Weapon
  • Attempted Murder
  • Arson
  • Commercial Burglary
  • Domestic Violence
  • DUI Causing Great Bodily Injury and/or Death
  • Elder Abuse
  • Forgery
  • Fraud
  • Gang Violence
  • Hate Crimes
  • Identity Theft
  • Manslaughter
  • Murder
  • Residential Burglary
  • Robbery
  • Theft
  • Vandalism