Former chief to be sentenced June 24 at 3:00 PM in Division 3 of Jefferson County Court - Right of victims to testify at sentencing

Victims of these crimes, including the taxpayers of ICFPD, have a right to testify at sentencing. Victim Impact Statements: Victim impact statements are written or oral information from crime victims, in their own words, about how a crime has affected them. Colorado allows victim impact statements at sentencing. The purpose of victim impact statements is to allow crime victims, during the decision-making process on sentencing, to describe to the court the impact of the crime. A judge may use information from these statements to help determine the offender's sentence. Victim impact statements may provide information about damage to victims that would otherwise have been unavailable to courts. Victims are often not called to testify in court, and if they testify, they must respond to narrow, specific questions. Victim impact statements are often the victims' only opportunity to participate in the criminal justice process or to confront the offenders who have harmed them. Many victims report that making such statements improves their satisfaction with the criminal justice process and helps them recover from the crime.