Victim Compensation
THERE ARE MANY COSTS TO
VICTIMS OF CRIME.
WE CAN HELP.
Boulder County Crime
Victim Compensation Program
Since the Crime Victim
Compensation Act of Colorado was enacted on July 1, 1982, it has helped
many victims of crime. Victims of certain crimes and the victims’
immediate family members may be eligible for a more expedient form of financial
assistance for some of the financial losses that were incurred as a
result of a crime, as restitution monies can take quite some time to
collect. The Crime Victim Compensation Fund has been established to
help crime victims using only fines and penalties collected from
defendants; no tax monies are used.
Awards to victims are
made by the Crime Victim Compensation Board, whose three members are
local citizens appointed by the District Attorney. The Board meets once
a month. A victim is required to submit an application in the judicial
district where the crime took place. The claim will then be
investigated and presented to the Crime Victim Compensation Board. This
process may take up to 60 days.
By state statute, Crime
Victim Compensation is a “payer of last resort”, therefore, all other
sources of payment must be used prior to receiving a compensation award.
This includes such resources as private insurance, Worker’s Compensation, the Colorado
Indigent Care Program or Medicaid/Medicare.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
- Must be a victim of a compensable crime, a
relative of a victim, or a witness at the scene. A compensable
crime means an intentional, knowing, reckless, or criminally
negligent act of a person that results in residential property
damage to or physical or psychological injury to another person or
results in loss of another person or results in loss of or damage to
eyeglasses, dentures or other medically necessary devices and which,
if committed by a person of full legal capacity, is punishable a as
a crime in this state. Expanded to include careless driving
resulting in death and hit and run resulting in death.
- The crime must have been committed on or after
July 1, 1982 in Boulder County.
- Law Enforcement authorities must be notified
within 72 hours of the discovery of the crime.
- The application must be filed within six
months of an eligible property crime or one year from the date of
other eligible crimes.
- The victim must cooperate fully with law
enforcement agencies and the prosecution.
- The injury or the death of the victim was not
a result of the victim’s wrongful act. The victim’s injuries or
death cannot be a result of the victim’s own wrong doing or of
substantially provocative actions.
- If the victim has insurance, those benefits
must be utilized before compensation funds can be awarded.
Some of these requirements may be
waived “in the interest of justice” by the Crime Victim Compensation
Board.
COMPENSABLE LOSSES INCLUDE
- Reasonable medical and dental expenses
- Mental health counseling and alternatives
- Replacement of prosthetic devices
- Lost wages/loss of support to dependents
- Burial/funeral expenses
- Outpatient care
- Homemaker services
- Property damage is limited to maximum of
$500.00 for replacement of exterior doors, locks or windows of a
residential property
COMPENSATION DOES NOT COVER
- Loss of money or personal property
- Damaged or stolen vehicles
- Pain and suffering
- Non-residential exterior doors, locks and
windows
To apply for Crime Victim Compensation:
To receive funding,
victims must complete and submit an application, along with
documentation of the requested expenses to the Crime Victim Compensation
Fund. For more information please call 303-682-6801 during regular
business hours.
You can pick up an
application at the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office at either
address: 1777 6th Ave, Boulder, CO (Boulder County Justice
Center at 6th and Canyon) or the Boulder County Courts –
Longmont, 1035 Kimbark Street, Longmont, CO (District Attorney’s Office
– 2nd Floor)
You may download the
application (English or Spanish version) here in PDF format. You may
also download the Mental Health Treatment form in PDF format.
Victim Compensation Forms:
Victim Comp
Application
Mental Health
Treatment Form
Aplicacion Para Compensacion A La Victima De Crimen.pdf
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