(a) Any person convicted of stealing, taking, receiving, converting, defacing or destroying property, shall be liable to each victim of the offense for the value of the property or property rights lost to the victim and for the value of any property which has diminished in worth as a result of the actions of such convicted offender and shall be ordered by the court to make restitution. If the court does not require that restitution be paid to a victim, the court shall state its reason on the record. The convicted offender shall also be liable for direct out-of-pocket losses, loss of earnings and other expenses and inconveniences incurred by victim as a direct result of the crime. For each criminal offense resulting in arrest in which property is alleged to have been unlawfully taken, damaged or otherwise diminished in value, a loss statement shall be prepared, by the police or by the victim when there is no police involvement, documenting for the court the value of the property lost or diminished as a direct result of the crime.

(b) In accordance with the evidence presented to the court, the court shall determine the nature and amount of restitution, if any, to be made to each victim of the crime of each convicted offender. The offender shall be ordered to pay a fixed sum of restitution or shall be ordered to work a fixed number of hours under the work referral program administered by the Department of Correction, or both.

(c) In the event a convicted offender is ordered by the court to pay fines, costs or other financial obligations along with restitution, payments shall first be applied to Victim Compensation Fund, next to pay restitution and then to the other payments ordered to be made.

(d) Each court shall establish procedures for the collection and disbursement of funds ordered under this section, including notification of the victim that restitution has been ordered. Such procedures shall at minimum include the following:

(1) All restitution payments shall be disbursed to victims within 90 days of receipt or whenever the accumulated amount of the restitution payments received is $50 or more, whichever event first occurs.

(2) Where there are multiple victims, disbursements shall be in proportion to the amounts owed to each victim, with individuals to receive disbursements in full before insurance companies receive any disbursements.

(3) Any and all interest earned on deposited restitution payments shall be set aside and deposited on at least a quarterly basis to the Victim Compensation Fund.

Any and all principal amounts received as restitution payments which are unclaimed after 5 years from date of receipt shall be deposited in the Victim Compensation Fund.

If, at any time in the future, the victim owed restitution requests the transferred funds, and makes application to the Victim Compensation Fund Board, said moneys will be refunded, following verification by the transferring Court.

(e) An order of restitution may not preclude the victim from proceeding in a civil action to recover damages from the offender. A civil verdict shall be reduced by the amount of restitution paid under the criminal restitution order.

63 Del. Laws, c. 141, § 1; 66 Del. Laws, c. 174, § 1; 67 Del. Laws, c. 260, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 220, § 1.