Crime has been very much in the news as of late. But, if we believe everything that we see on television or hear on the news, crime is somewhat one dimensional. One story after another informs us of the frustrations of the State not being able to pay for all of the defendant’s legal fees. Other stories tell us of the apparent harshness in not letting a well known celebrity get out of jail so that he may attend a Thanksgiving celebration. We get updates on other defendants who have been discriminated against due to racism, sexism, and any other “ism” that can be identified. Apparently, based on what we see and hear, the only thing that people are interested in when it comes to crime is the defendant.
I think, more likely, that the constant spotlight on the defendant is based on the media’s infatuation than what the viewing and listening audience may actually feel. If this was not the case, it seems that we would actually hear a little about the victim of the crime from time to time. These stories drone on and on about the commission of the crime and usually end with a little footnote about the victim being devastated. As much as I would like to blame the media for excluding the victim’s concerns in a criminal case, I must confess that my own profession has done the same for many years.
Up until 1995, when the State Legislature passed the Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights, the victim really did not play much of a part in the investigation and prosecution of the crimes even though they were the ones who were directly impacted. Other than providing information at the onset of the case, their participation was very limited. In some cases, the victim may not have even known that the case had reached final adjudication if they had not read about it in the paper. They were literally left out of the loop. It was never an intentional exclusion, but law enforcement and prosecutors felt that their job was to arrest and prosecute those people who had been charged with the crime.
While this was and remains to this day the primary mission of law enforcement and the judicial system, it became obvious that a mechanism had to be put in place that allowed the victim to be a part of this pursuit of justice. All of this came to a head when victims began to demand to be a bigger part of the system when it came to the crimes in which they were victimized. A crime victim’s movement began very small, but grew gradually in numbers until the movement began to get the attention of politicians who saw potential political fallout in being on the wrong side of this group.
Working with law enforcement and prosecutors across the state, the Victim’s Bill of Rights legislation was drafted and passed and now places the crime victim squarely in the middle of the process. Victims are now entitled to certain mandatory notifications, monetary compensation for certain offenses, and more than anything else, have a right to express their opinion to the courts about how the case has affected their lives personally, emotionally, and financially. Crime victims have never wanted more rights than the accused; they have simply wanted an equal amount of those rights that defendants are guaranteed every day in courthouses across this nation.
While the constitutional rights afforded to a person accused of a crime are imperative, we must also makes those rights afforded to a victim of equal importance. Slowly but surely, those rights are starting to come to fruition. National Crime Victim’s Recognition Week is being observed on a national scale through out the week of April 13th through April 19th this year. Before we dismiss this week as just another week whereby some group is trying to bring attention to their cause or agenda, we must be careful not to forget that anyone of us could become a part of this group at the drop of a hat. It would be prudent of all of us to ensure that crime victims’ rights are recognized before we become a crime victim ourselves.
The case, in which one day we might fall victim to crime, probably will not make the needed impact to the media that will cause it to be covered by the nightly news. But, you better believe that it can make an impact that could have long lasting and sometimes devastating results on each of us and our families. That’s the real news. It is up to each of us to spread it!
