(A) If a victim is a minor or is incapacitated, incompetent, or deceased, or if the victim chooses to designate another person, a member of a victim's family or another person may exercise the rights of the victim under this chapter as the victim's representative.

If more than one person seeks to act as the victim's representative for a particular victim, the court in which the criminal prosecution or delinquency proceeding is held shall designate one of those persons as the victim's representative. If a victim does not want to have anyone act as the victim's representative, the court shall order that only the victim may exercise the rights of a victim under this chapter.

(B) If pursuant to division (A) of this section a victim's representative is to exercise the rights of a victim, the victim or victim's representative shall notify the prosecutor or, if it is a delinquency proceeding and a prosecutor is not involved in the case, shall notify the court that the victim's representative is to act for the victim. When a victim or victim's representative has so notified the prosecutor or the court, all notice under this chapter shall be sent only to the victim's representative, all rights under this chapter shall be granted only to the victim's representative, and all references in this chapter to a victim shall be interpreted as being references to the victim's representative unless the victim informs the notifying authority that the victim also wishes to receive the notices or exercise the rights. If division (B) of section 2930.03 of the Revised Code requires a victim to make a request in order to receive any notice of a type described in this division and if a victim's representative is to exercise the rights of the victim, the victim's representative shall make the request.

Effective Date: 11-22-1999.