§ 147.305 Effect of criminal conviction on compensation proceedings

If someone applies for compensation as a crime victim, and the person who hurt them has already been convicted of that crime, the conviction settles the matter. The system won't make the victim prove the crime happened all over again. The conviction itself counts as final proof that the crime took place.

This matters because it saves victims from going through a second fight to show they were actually harmed by a crime. Criminal court already decided that question beyond a reasonable doubt, which is a tougher standard than what's used in compensation claims. So instead of relitigating guilt, the compensation process can move straight to deciding things like how much harm was done and what compensation is fair.