Michigan Compiled Laws
Article 1 - (780.751...780.775)
Section 780.765 - Oral Impact Statement at Sentencing; Physical Presence of Defendant; Amendatory Act to Be Known and Cited as "Rebekah Bletsch Law".

Sec. 15.
(1) The victim has the right to appear and make an oral impact statement at the sentencing of the defendant. If the victim is physically or emotionally unable to make the oral impact statement, the victim may designate any other person 18 years of age or older who is neither the defendant nor incarcerated to make the statement on his or her behalf. The other person need not be an attorney.
(2) Unless the court has determined, in its discretion, that the defendant is behaving in a disruptive manner or presents a threat to the safety of any individuals present in the courtroom, the defendant must be physically present in the courtroom at the time a victim makes an oral impact statement under subsection (1). In making its determination under this subsection, the court may consider any relevant statement provided by the victim regarding the defendant being physically present during that victim's oral impact statement. This subsection applies to cases in which the sentencing of the defendant occurs on or after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this subsection.
(3) The 2018 amendatory act that amended this section and sections 43 and 75 shall be known and may be cited as the "Rebekah Bletsch law".
History: 1985, Act 87, Eff. Oct. 9, 1985 ;-- Am. 1988, Act 21, Eff. June 1, 1988 ;-- Am. 1993, Act 341, Eff. May 1, 1994 ;-- Am. 2000, Act 503, Eff. June 1, 2001 ;-- Am. 2018, Act 153, Imd. Eff. May 23, 2018

Structure Michigan Compiled Laws