The Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada is asking the Nevada Supreme Court to force the state to immediately issue decisions on whether crime victims are eligible for compensation, saying that a dozen people the center represents have been waiting as long as four months past a 60-day deadline and still have no resolution on their case.

The petition alleges that the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) has failed to render decisions on applications for the state's Victim Compensation Program, despite a state law requiring officials to make a decision within 60 days. That program — which is generally considered a payor of last resort that fills gaps after insurance and restitution has been paid out — is intended to provide financial assistance to victims of crime, helping cover everything from medical expenses to funeral costs.

In July, the agency told The Indy that nearly 600 applications are still waiting to be processed. Out of the nearly 1,000 received this year, only about 250 have been approved. The department attributed some of the delays to a reduction in federal funding and a switch to a new processing system earlier this year.  

Read More: Nevada is supposed to compensate crime victims. Hundreds are waiting to get paid.

DCFS did not immediately return a request for comment. 

The challenge comes after the Resiliency & Justice Center — a statewide victim assistance organization managed by the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada — sent a demand letter to the state on July 9. The letter demanded that the state issue decisions on their clients' applications within 14 days or the organization would "pursue all available legal remedies."

"[F]ailure to issue decisions within the mandated timeframe negatively impacts the rights of every victim entitled to compensation," the filing says. "Resolution of this [p]etition will ensure future victims in Nevada will not be subjected to protracted wait times for compensation." 

Read the filing here: