Permits at the discretion of the court certain members of the deceased victim's family to read statements in court during the sentencing of a defendant, rather than allowing only a single member of the victim's family to read a statement in court, upon consultation with counsel for the defendant and the people.

New York Senate Bill S00390, introduced on January 8, 2025, seeks to amend the Criminal Procedure Law to allow certain members of a deceased victim's family to read statements in court during the defendant's sentencing. Currently, only one family member is permitted to read a statement. The bill requires consultation with both the defendant's and the prosecution's counsel before additional family members can read statements. ([nysenate.gov](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S390?utm_source=openai))

NY S00390 is a senate bill in the New York 2025-2026 General Assembly, sponsored by Anthony Palumbo (R), currently “Introduced” since January 8, 2025.

We track 14,627 New York bills this session, 93 of them sponsored by Anthony Palumbo.

While specific media coverage on this bill is limited, the proposal aligns with previous legislative efforts to enhance victim and family participation in the judicial process. Such initiatives are generally viewed positively as they aim to provide a more comprehensive representation of the victim's family's perspective during sentencing.

There is no significant media coverage or reported opposition to this bill. Without detailed public discourse, it's challenging to assess potential concerns or criticisms regarding the proposed changes to victim impact statements in court proceedings.