The article provides a review of Federal and State legislative and judicial action in response to the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime. The article reviews programs, policies and empirical data concerning increased crime victim access to the court system. The historical context of crime victim treatment and the development of the victimology movement are explored. The article includes a general discussion of the state of victim's rights of participation in the criminal justice process including discussion of victim's notification rights, the victim's right to be present at court and parole proceedings, the victim's right to input regarding the judicial handling of their case, the use of victim's impact statements and the limited development of legal remedies for violations of victim's rights laws. Notes, references