Courtney Wild Reinforcing Crime Victims’ Rights Act

The bill updates federal crime victim rights law so that many rights begin at the time of a suspected or alleged federal or D.C. offense, not only after charges are filed. It expands the right to be told about and to confer with prosecutors on plea bargains, plea offers, deferred or non‑prosecution agreements, pretrial diversion, and referrals of cases to other law enforcement agencies. It requires that victims receive a "crime victims' rights card" with a list of rights, contact information for the Justice Department’s Crime Victims’ Rights Ombudsman, and information about legal help, including pro bono help. Courts must now confirm that the government has tried its best to give victims their rights and can issue orders to fix failures. The Department of Justice and other federal agencies involved in crime work must inform victims in writing that they can seek advice from an attorney and must give basic information on how to seek pro bono legal representation. The bill allows prosecutors to ask a court for a short delay (usually up to 90 days, with possible extension) in giving certain rights, if doing so would threaten safety, harm an investigation, compromise national security, or reveal important nonpublic information; the court must review this and keep a record. The bill strengthens how victims can enforce their rights in court. It clearly allows a victim or their lawful representative to have an attorney appear in federal district court (or, if there is no case yet, the district where the crime occurred), receive case filings and orders about their rights, and access case records that relate to those rights. Victims can file motions or separate rights‑enforcement actions in district court, and courts must decide these quickly and give written reasons if relief is denied. If relief is denied, victims can seek a writ of mandamus from the court of appeals, which must act quickly and apply normal appellate standards, and give written reasons if it denies relief. The bill sets rules for reopening some proceedings. Failing to give a right does not allow a new trial. But, under strict conditions, a victim can ask to reopen a plea or sentencing, depending on whether they got timely notice and whether the defendant already pleaded to the top charge or received the maximum sentence. It also lets victims ask the court to require the government to seek to annul a deferred prosecution or non‑prosecution agreement if they were denied a reasonable right to confer, and the court must hold a hearing if it finds such a violation. Courts must order a “just and appropriate” remedy for rights violations that respects the defendant’s constitutional rights and the interests of other victims and the public, and cannot override prosecutorial discretion. The bill defines more terms, including “crime victim,” “crime victim’s lawful representative,” “timely,” and “suspected or alleged” offense, clarifying that victims’ rights can apply during investigations before charges are filed. It also allows crime victims who win enforcement actions against the United States to receive reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses under existing federal fee law. The bill revises the internal oversight system at the Department of Justice. It requires the Attorney General to designate an “Administrative Authority,” under the independent supervision of the DOJ Inspector General, to receive and investigate complaints that government attorneys violated crime victims’ rights. It sets out what must be in a complaint, the time limits for filing it, and requires the Administrative Authority to keep a complaint log, issue decisions within 180 days, and, where appropriate, impose fines or reimburse victims for costs. Victims must receive written decisions explaining any sanctions and notice of their right to appeal to the Inspector General, who has limited time to review; if the Inspector General overturns a decision, Congress must be notified. Finally, the bill adds a new section requiring the Attorney General to issue rules to carry out these changes and to report to certain congressional committees. These reports must describe the number and outcomes of complaints, list districts and prosecutors who are subjects of complaints, identify attorneys with three or more complaints, and list all cases where a court or the Administrative Authority found a failure to give a victim a right, along with the efforts made to accord rights. The reports are due one year after enactment, then yearly for two years, and then every two years after that. It also mandates trauma‑informed training for DOJ employees who work on detecting, investigating, or prosecuting crimes.