Victims' rights package set for Legislature

ANCHORAGE -- The 2004 legislative session is still a month away but five bills aimed at bolstering crime victims' rights already have been drafted.

The package will help police, prosecutors and judges reshape the state's justice system so the focus is on victims and their rights, said Rep. Ralph Samuels of Anchorage, one of four lawmakers who will pre-file bills in Juneau.

"Victims that should be at the center of our system of justice are too often left on the outside looking in," he said. "They're treated as uninvolved bystanders with little or no say in the outcome of their case and the four of us really want to change all that."

He's joined in the project by Rep. Bill Stoltze of Chugiak, Rep. Nancy Dahlstrom of Eagle River and Rep. Leslie McGuire of Anchorage.

"All of us have had association with victims' rights issues," Stoltze said. "Samuels had a family member who was a victim. He's been a leader in pushing this kind of legislation."

He added that Dahlstrom has focused on violent crimes against women.

Stoltze's bill targets the often confusing legal maze victims encounter trying to follow their case through the judicial system. He calls it "one of the most complicated labyrinths of our society."

The bill would require that crime victims be contacted by an advocate who would explain legal process, terminology and existing laws benefiting victims. Stoltze said the best source of such help is the Office of Victims' Rights, a branch of the Legislature, although the state Department of Law also should be involved. It's vital that such information is provided as soon as possible after a crime occurs, he said.

Stoltze said there already are laws requiring such things as notifying victims of a defendant's court appearances. But anecdotal evidence suggests that contacts are not always made, he said, despite the opening of the Office of Victims' Rights in 2002.

"It's better than it has been but there's still a long way to go," Stoltze said. "The idea of notification is to be proactive."

The idea for the bill is modeled after the Miranda warnings, which alert people to their legal rights at the time of arrest, Stoltze said, adding that victims should be treated with the same concern.

"We certainly spend a lot of time making sure that suspects are made aware of their rights," he said.