Courts may consider potential trauma to victims' families and the risk of inspiring copycat attacks as factors when deciding whether investigative records should be disclosed.
October 30, 2025
high
procedural
Judicial decisions about disclosure of sensitive investigative materials can weigh harms such as psychological trauma to victims' families and public safety risks.
Victim impact statements are statements that victims or victims' families can present during sentencing hearings in criminal cases to describe the physical, emotional, and financial impact of the crime on the victim and family.
high
legal_procedure
Used in sentencing phases of criminal proceedings to inform the judge about harm caused by the offense.
Idaho law provides that profits a criminal would receive from telling or commercializing their crime (for example, through a movie, book, or magazine article) are first directed to the state treasurer and placed into an escrow account to be made available for victims or their families.
high
legal
Statutory mechanism used by some U.S. states to prevent criminals from personally benefiting from recounting their crimes and to prioritize victim restitution.