S 4628: Enables the victim of a misdemeanor to make a statement at the sentencing of the defendant.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4628 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE February 10, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. WEIK -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes AN ACT to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to enabling the victim of a misdemeanor to make a statement at the sentencing of the defendant; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expi- ration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Emma's Law". 2 § 2. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision 2 of section 380.50 of the 3 criminal procedure law, paragraph (a) as amended by chapter 499 of the 4 laws of 1993, subparagraph 2 of paragraph (a) as separately amended by 5 chapters 173 and 198 of the laws of 1996, and paragraph (b) as added by 6 chapter 307 of the laws of 1992, are amended to read as follows: 7 (a) For purposes of this section "victim" shall mean: 8 (1) the victim as indicated in the accusatory instrument or as indi- 9 cated in the pre-sentence investigation conducted pursuant to section 10 390.20 of this title; or 11 (2) if such victim is unable or unwilling to express [himself or 12 herself] themself before the court or a person so mentally or physically 13 disabled as to make it impracticable to appear in court in person or the 14 victim is deceased, a member of the family of such victim, or the legal 15 guardian or representative of the legal guardian of the victim where 16 such guardian or representative has personal knowledge of and a 17 relationship with the victim, unless the court finds that it would be 18 inappropriate for such person to make a statement on behalf of the 19 victim. 20 (b) If the defendant is being sentenced for a felony or a misdemeanor, 21 the court, if requested at least ten days prior to the sentencing date, 22 shall accord the victim the right to make a statement with regard to any 23 matter relevant to the question of sentence. The court shall notify the EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD08608-01-5 
 S. 4628 2 1 defendant no less than seven days prior to sentencing of the victim's 2 intent to make a statement at sentencing. If the defendant does not 3 receive timely notice pursuant to this subdivision, the defendant may 4 request a reasonable adjournment. 5 § 3. The opening paragraph of subdivision 2 of section 390.20 of the 6 criminal procedure law, as amended by chapter 413 of the laws of 1991, 7 is amended to read as follows: 8 Where a person is convicted of a misdemeanor a pre-sentence report is 9 not required, but the court may not pronounce any of the following 10 sentences unless it has ordered a pre-sentence investigation of the 11 defendant and has received a written report thereof or a pre-sentence 12 investigation of the defendant has been requested by either the prosecu- 13 tor or the defendant and the court has received a written report 14 thereof: 15 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be 16 deemed repealed 2 years after such effective date.