60 CASSELL ET AL. [Vol. 104 ability to participate meaningfully in the criminal process when federal prosecutors narrowly interpreted their responsibilities under the Act. Second, the Article reviews the purpose, text, structure, and history of the CVRA, concluding that they all support the conclusion that crime victims have rights during criminal investigations. Third, our Article critiques the Department’s memorandum, demonstrating that the Department’s analysis is unpersuasive. Fourth and finally, the Article provides a_ specific approach for determining when rights should attach—specifically when federal law enforcement agencies have identified a crime with sufficient precision to send a “target” letter to a criminal defendant. We also observe that federal and state prosecutors have already accorded rights to victims before formally filing charges, which further undermines the Department’s overly narrow construction of the Act. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. THE ISSUE OF RIGHTS FOR CRIME VICTIMS DURING CRIMINAL A. A Brief History of Crime Victims’ Rights .....00.000.0 cece. 63 B. The Crime Victims’ Rights Acti... ccccccccecceeeeeteeeteereens OD C. An Illustration of the Pre-charging Issue: The Jeffrey Epstein Ce Gecrememnces conmmmonenen meme meno mommmenmeenee: tonmemmemem 8 Fe II. THE CVRA’S APPLICATION BEFORE FORMAL CHARGES ARE FILED..... 69 A. The CVRA’S Purposes .0.......ccccceccecceceeerectetssecttetesseeseeseees 10 B. The CVRA’s Plain Language 0.00.00... cccceececeeteeteeteeeen DL C. Courts Recognize That Crime Victims Have CVRA Rights Before Charging oo... ccc ccc ccseeetetetstetstettttsetitseeaee DO II. THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT’S UNPERSUASIVE POSITION ............0...00:. 75 A. OLC’s Misreading of the CVRA’s Definition of “Victim” ........ 76 B. OLC’s Distortion of the CVRA’s Structure and Legislative HIStOLY occ cccc cc ceeeeeseecsescssessesssessssssssessetetsteseesesssees OO C. OLC’s Ineffective Response to the CVRA’s Coverage and Venue Provisions 2.0... eececees