Statutes and regulations on crime victims’ rights and restitution

updated 10/13/2016

Note: Our cases have focused on fraud victims and their right to restitution, and the links below are generally limited to those issues.   For other crime victims rights issues, see the website of the National Crime Victim Law Institute.

                        STATUTES

18 U.S.C. § 3663 – discretionary restitution

18 U.S.C. § 3663A – Mandatory Victim Restitution Act

18 U.S.C. § 3664 – restitution procedure

18 U.S.C. § 3771 – Crime Victims’ Rights Act

                         FEDERAL REGULATIONS

28 C.F.R. 9.1 – Remission, authority and purpose

28 C.F.R. 9.2 – Definitions

28 C.F.R. 9.4 – Petitions in judicial forfeiture cases.

28 C.F.R. 9.5 – Criteria governing administrative and judicial remission and mitigation

28 C.R.F. 9.6 – Special rules for specific petitioners

28 C.F.R. 9.7 – Terms and conditions of remission and mitigation

28 C.F.R. 9.8 – Provisions applicable to victims

28 C.F.R. 9.9 – Miscellaneous Provisions (including priority of payment from forfeited assets)

                         OTHER AUTHORITIES

Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance, DOJ May 2005

Congressional Research Service Report, “Restitution in Federal Criminal Cases”, August 17, 2007

DOJ Asset Forfeiture Policy Manual (2008)

GAO Report:

Court-Ordered Restitution Amounts Far Exceed Likely Collections for the Crime Victims in Selected Financial  Fraud Cases” (highlights) (January 2005)

GAO Report:
“Crime Victims’ Rights Act: Increasing Awareness, Modifying the Complaint Process, and Enhancing Compliance Monitoring Will Improve Implementation of the Act” (December 2008)

National Crime Victim Law Institute,“A Review of the American Bar Association’s Guidelines for Fair Treatment of Crime Victims and Witnesses”

National Crime Victim Law Institute, “Developing Victims’ Rights Law: A Study of Precedent and Dicta,” by Kim Montagriff

National Crime Victim Law Institute, “Ensuring Individual Rights Are Not Diminished in the Face of Mass Victimization” by Meg Garvin, J.D.

National Crime Victim Law Institute, “The Changing Landscape of Federal Criminal Practice”, by Meg Garvin, J.D.

National Crime Victim Law Institute, “The New Federal Landscape: Snapshots of Change” by Meg Garvin, J.D.

National Crime Victim Law Institute, “The Grassroots Beginnings of the Victims’ Rights Movement,” by Joanna Tucker Davis

National Crime Victim Law Institute, “The Victim Impact Statement at Sentencing: A Successful Journey” by Richard Pompelio, Esq.

U.S. Attorney’s Manual Chapter 3-12.000 “Collection of Criminal Monetary Impositions”  (2010)

U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Crime Victim’s Compensation”

U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Ordering Restitution To the Crime Victim” (November 2002)

U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Restitution: Making It Work” (November 2002)

U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Victim Input Into Plea Agreements” (November 2002)