Requires that court sentencing a person for first degree sexual assault of first degree child molestation, have the approval of the victim before imposing any negotiated sentence upon the offender.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would give victims of first-degree sexual assault and first-degree child molestation a formal say in plea deal sentencing. Specifically, before a judge can accept and impose a negotiated sentence — meaning a sentence that resulted from a plea bargain between the prosecutor and the defendant — the victim would need to approve that sentence first. In other words, if the accused agrees to plead guilty in exchange for a specific punishment, the victim would have to sign off before the judge makes it official.

Currently, victims may be informed about plea deals and can provide input, but this bill would go further by requiring their explicit approval as a condition for the negotiated sentence to move forward. This change would apply specifically to cases involving first-degree sexual assault and first-degree child molestation, which are among the most serious criminal charges under Rhode Island law. The bill would affect crime victims, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges involved in these cases.

It is worth noting that the bill is still in the early stages of the legislative process. It has been introduced and referred to the House Judiciary Committee, which has recommended holding it for further study rather than advancing it immediately. This means lawmakers want more time to examine the proposal before deciding whether to move it forward.