Sponsor Statement for SB 219

"The Crime Victims' Rights and Advocacy Act of 1998"

On November 8, 1994, the voters of Alaska ratified an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Alaska which provides specific rights to victims of crime. The overwhelming approval rate -- 86.6% in favor -- was clear testament of Alaskans' belief that:

"Crime victims, as defined by law, shall have the following rights as provided by law: the right to be reasonably protected from the accused through the imposition of appropriate bail or conditions of release by the court; the right to confer with the prosecution; the right to be treated with dignity, respect, and fairness during all phases of the criminal or juvenile justice process, the right to timely disposition of the case following the arrest of the accused, the right to obtain information about and be allowed to be present at all criminal or juvenile proceedings where the accused has the right to be present; the right to be allowed to be heard, upon request, at sentencing, before or after conviction or juvenile adjudication, and at any proceeding where the accused's release from custody is considered; the right to restitution from the accused; and the right to be informed, upon request, of the accused's escape or release from custody before or after conviction or juvenile adjudication."

---- ARTICLE I, SECTION 24, ALASKA CONSTITUTION

Passage of this legislation will put in place a mechanism to guarantee the practical application of this very important Constitutional Amendment. It is time for victims to have advocacy when dealing with a judicial system so heavily weighted to the benefit of criminals, and based on a process replete with technicalities and legal jargon, rendering it virtually indecipherable to anyone other than the attorneys.